


One Year On

by JustLyra



Category: MotoGP RPF, Motorcycling RPF
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-30
Updated: 2016-10-13
Packaged: 2018-07-27 17:26:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 31,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7627360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustLyra/pseuds/JustLyra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The follow up to Six Months</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One Year On

“Dani?” Chucking his keys onto the hall table, Alex toed off his shoes, “You asleep lazybones?” Hanging his jacket on one of the hooks Alex looked around the hall, the house completely silent, “Dani?... … Dani are you here?” Wandering into the lounge and finding it empty Alex quickly moved to the kitchen, looking at the fridge, his stomach lurching when there was no note on it, “DANI!”

Sprinting up the stairs, his stomach churning, Alex felt like he was going to vomit, “Dani? Dani…” Throwing open their bedroom door, the room completely empty, Alex fought back tears, sprinting over to the cupboard that contained most of Dani’s belongings and seeing his things there, “He took nothing last time…”

Running back down the stairs he rummaged in his jacket, finding his phone, his thumbs feeling too big as he botched entering his passcode three times, “Come on, come on…”

“Hey…”

Hands freezing, Alex looked up, Dani appearing in the hallway, his face crumbling in relief, “You’re here…”

“Of course I’m here,” Dani put his gardening gloves on the table, hoping not too much dirt ended up on the glass table top, his gardening shoes kicked off at the back door, “Why would… Oh Alex…”

Putting his phone down, biting his lip, Alex looked sad, “I’m sorry…”

“Babe…” Dani shook his head, moving over to Alex, sliding his hands around the taller man’s waist, “You can’t keep doing this to yourself…”

Alex nodding, leaning down to rest his forehead against Dani’s, his heartrate slowly returning too normal, “I know. I just panicked.”

“I’m not going to leave you…”

Breathing heavy as Dani leant up to press a light kiss to his lips Alex closed his eyes, guilt swathing around him, “I know. I **do** know that…”

“I’ve been home for a year… I’ve faced my Mama, your Mama, the police, the press… I’ve got no reason to leave you,” Pulling Alex tighter, hating that he was responsible for the insecurity in the younger man, Dani felt like crying, “What can I do to fix this?”

Shaking his head Alex kissed Dani’s cheek, his arms draped around Dani’s neck, “Nothing. This is me… It’s… Everything is just so perfect right now… I’m scared something is going to come alone to ruin it…”

“Nothing will. I promise you. I won’t let it.”

“I really hope not.”

“It won’t,” Stepping back Dani smiled, “The house paperwork came this morning…”

Alex grinned, wild and uncensored, “Brilliant.”

“So…” Letting his hands wander under Alex’s t-shirt, fingers resting on the waistband of the taller man’s jeans, Dani smiled, desperate for Alex to be happy, “We go on holiday on Monday, then we have Christmas, then we move into _our_ house and then… Then you go testing on your new big bike…"

Alex closed his eyes, taking a shuddery deep breath, the smile staying on his face, “I feel like I’ve got it all…”

“And you’re going to keep it all,” Dani leant up on tip toes to tease Alex into a warm kiss, tongues tangling, the tastes familiar and calming, “I’m not leaving you Alex, not today, not tomorrow… I love you… And I forgot something on our list of things to do…”

“What?”

“I forgot…” Pushing his hands into Alex’s jeans, digging his fingers into his cotton-covered cheeks, Dani bit his lip, “… that we still have to celebrate your title properly…”

“Oh yeah…” Alex smirked, leaning in to nip Dani’s bottom lip, “I do believe you made me a promise at Mugello… I'd get something _very_ special if I won the title...”

“I did…”

“Then get upstairs and keep it…”

*

“You ok?” Lifting his sunglasses, almost asleep on his sun lounger, Alex frowned at Dani, the older man in and out of the pool, constantly fidgeting.

Towelling himself dry, Dani nodded, almost absentmindedly, “I’m fine.”

“Dani…” Rolling onto his side, concern written all over his face, Alex raised an eyebrow, “We’re in the most spectacular villa I’ve ever seen, on an island with no press or photographers, we’ve done nothing but eat and fuck for three days and you are telling me that you are _fine_ … What’s going on?”

Smiling, reaching out to touch Alex’s face, Dani shook his head, “Nothing.”

“Promise?”

Faltering slightly, their promises to never lie to each other making him pause, Dani closed his eyes, “Nothing you need to worry about… Ok?”

“No…”

Taking a deep breath Dani shook his head, “I’m such a dick… I just can’t settle…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Dani smiled, the smile reaching his eyes, contrasting with his fidgeting hands, deciding that maybe the grand dinner and fancy gesture he had planned for that evening were too much, “You know that I love you, right?”

“Yeah?” Sitting up, getting nervous, Dani’s hands shaking more, making his shake, “Dani?”

“This year…” Dani bit his lip, words not enough to describe how proud he was of Alex, “You were _amazing_ … On track you slayed them, showed them that 2014 wasn’t a fluke… I was so proud of you… Mugello was one of the best performance I have ever seen… You showed the world why Marc says you are better than him… Sssh…” Reaching out to touch two fingers to Alex’s lips, Dani shook his head, “Let me waffle… … Off track you have been wonderful. You’ve helped me rebuild my relationships with my family… You defended me in the paddock… You didn’t mind that Jorge hugged me… You’ve held me when I cried, you’ve dragged me to my counsellor on the days that I needed it and you’ve forgiven me… I don’t deserve your forgiveness… You, Mama, Papa, Eric… What I did to you all…”

“That’s in the past…”

“It is…” Running his thumb over Alex’s cheek, always amazed that someone so beautiful was interested in him, Dani bit the inside of his cheek, tears nipping his eyes, “I love you… I love that we are going to have our own home… I love that you are brave enough that the world knows that you are gay… I particularly love the shirtless photos of you that are in every gay man’s magazine at the moment… I _love_ that you are happy and confident in yourself… I love that for reasons I’ll never understand you love **me** …” Dani smiled, his belly warm and full, “I love you can’t cook anything except tomato pasta… I love that you can kill a perfectly healthy plant in less than a week… I love that you constantly lose your keys…”

“Dani?”

“I love you Alex Marquez. I love that my future is with you. So…” Dani tilted his head, smiling at the gradual look of realisation that spread over Alex’s face, Dani’s voice soft, almost a whisper, “…Will you marry me?”

“ _Dani…_ ” Tears streaming down his face, Alex shook his head, “You spoiled my plans…”

“What plans?” His heart stopping for a second, Dani frowned in confusion, before he realised what was going on, his smile coming back, “Oh…”

“Sunset dinner and me down on one knee was my plan…” Alex grinned, both of them laughing through tears, “I would love to marry you.”

“Yeah?” Despite being confident enough to ask, Dani couldn’t quite believe the answer, “Really?”

“Yeah,” Alex laughed softly, leaning down to peck a kiss to Dani’s lips, “Really.”

*

Alex

| 

 

| 

Are you at home?  
  
---|---|---  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

No. Is everything ok?  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

Yeah fine. Where you at?  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Just away for a few days. What’s up?  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

I’ve got something to tell you. Ideally would tell you, Mama and Papa at the same time…  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Call me…  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

I’ll call Mama and Papa first, then we’ll call you and Morwenna  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Ok  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

I mean ok to call Mama and Papa first  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

Marc… Don’t make me laugh by denying you are in Cornwall  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

I’m not in Cornwall. 100% truth  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

I suppose the weather in Andorra is better at this time of year  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Not in Andorra either  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

Oooh holidaying together… Interesting ;)  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Just fuck off and phone Mama  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

And congratulations  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

I haven’t told you yet  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

You are not the only one with good instincts bro  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

Touche. We’ll call you and Morwenna in a bit  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Whatever  
  
 

*

Holding his hand up, the simple silver band wrapped around his ring finger, Alex grinned at the echoing shrieks of delight from his mother and Dani’s, the group call making them both laugh, “So, Dani had a question….”

“Turns out so did Alex…” Dani held his hand up, the thin gold band glinting on his finger, his other hand on Alex’s thigh, “I just got in there first…”

Laughing and smiling their way through the congratulations, until the moment that the call ended, Alex rested his head on Dani’s shoulder, closing his eyes for moment, “I’m so glad you came home…”

“Me too,” Squeezing Alex’s thigh, the emotion catching them both, Dani clicked on the laptop, “Come on, let’s call the two that made it happen…”

“Ah yes,” Alex laughed, the snicker almost evil, “What excuse for being in the same place at the same time do you thnk they’ll give this time?”

“Fuck knows,” Dani laughed, waiting on the call to be connected, “Why they don’t just admit to occasional fucking I don’t know… Hey!”

Waving at the screen, Morwenna by his side, holed up together in a villa in Lanzarote for a few days, Marc grinned wide, “FINALLY!! Who asked who then? How much did the Mamas cry?”

*

Lying on the day bed, the stars twinkling above them, two champagne glasses abandoned on the table, Alex whimpered, Dani on top of him, their clothed crotches rubbing together as they lost themselves in kisses, “Dani…”

“Sssh…” Kissing his way down Alex’s neck, the younger man hard and needy, Dani slipped his hand between them, brushing over Alex’s hardness, making him wail and thrust up, “Keep your hands where they are… This one is just for you…”

Thumping his head against the pillow, Alex shivered as Dani’s fingers hooked into the waistband of his shorts, pulling them down and exposing him to the cool night air, wailing as Dani abandoned any pre amble, his cock swallowed by the hot heat of Dani’s mouth, taking him down to his root, one hand on Alex’s balls, the other pressed on his abdomen, as if Alex would even consider wriggling away, “Daohmygodfuckfuck…”

On his knees, Dani looked up, catching Alex’s eyes, knowing how much that destroyed the younger man, challenging him to watch as he moved his mouth up and down his length, his cheeks hollowed, making Alex curse as he drew him closer and closer to the edge, deft fingers finding that spot behind his balls, rubbing gently, spit soaked as it teased, moving closer to Alex’s crack, their switches only occasional, but drawing wails and pleas as Dani’s finger found his hole, circling with intent as Dani pushed his own limits, Alex’s cock hitting his throat, the sensation of Dani swallowing around him as his finger threatened to breach his hole sending Alex flying over the edge, hands flying into Dani’s hear as a litany of swearing filled the silent night.

“You are filthy…” Voice breathy, Alex shivered as he looked at Dani, the older man’s tongue flicking out to catch a dribble of cum leaking from his mouth, his grin wide as he reached for Dani’s shorts, repayment on his mind, the freedom of the private villa spurring them both on, “Your turn…”


	2. How many more times?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not a follow up as such. A part of the story from before Alex was found. It's dark. It could be triggering for some people. Please be careful. And I'm sorry if the horrible parts spoil anything for you x

Eric

| 

 

| 

Are you busy?  
  
---|---|---  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

No, what’s up?  
  
Eric

| 

 

| 

There’s been a sighting of someone matching Dani’s description at La Roca Village  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

The shopping place?  
  
Eric

| 

 

| 

Yeah. I was going to go for a look? Take some of the posters…  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

I’ll meet you there  
  
Eric

| 

 

| 

Thanks mate  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

No worries  
  
*

“Excuse me, have you seen this man?”

“Excuse me, have you seen this guy?”

“Sorry to bother you, have you seen this man?”

“Hi, sorry to interrupt you, I was just wondering if you’d seen this guy at all?... … Yeah, he’s Dani Pedrosa… Ok Thanks anyway.”

“Excuse me, could I put one of these posters in your window?”

“Hi. My brother has gone missing; I was wondering if I could put this poster in your window?”

“Hey,” Alex caught up with Eric, the older man arriving first, “Any joy?”

Eric shook his head, the fact that there had been countless sightings over the month that Dani had been missing for not lessening the disappointment any when another one didn’t work out, “No, nothing. Thought I’d hand out some posters while I’m here.”

“Good plan,” Alex reached into his backpack, his own bundle of posters there, “Why don’t I do the left side and you do the right?”

 

“Excuse me, could I put this missing poster in your window?”

“Hello. Do you have a notice board? … Could I put one of these missing posters on it?”

“Hi, I was wondering how you get an advertisement on your tv screens around the mall, I’d like to get this missing poster onto there if possible?”

“Sorry to bother you, could I pin this up on your wall?”

*

“It was worth a try…” Alex patted Eric’s shoulder, the mall closing so time for them to head back to their cars, “We’ll find him.”

Eric nodded, the disappointment crushing, “I hope so, my mama… Sorry...”

“No problem,” Stopping, Eric answering his phone and then not moving another inch, Alex felt sick as Eric's face paled, his voice sounding more and more serious.

“Right… Ok… Right… Ok… Ok… Ok… When?... Right… Where?... Ok… Ok… Right… No, I’ll do it… … I’m at La Roca, the shopping mall… … … Probably about thirty minutes or so… … … Uh huh… … Yeah… Alex is here with me… … I will… Ok, I’ll see you there. Drive safely.”

“What’s wrong?” Eric’s face chalk white, his hands fumbling as he tried to put his phone back in his pocket, Alex’s stomach lurched, “Eric?”

“That was my Papa… He… The police…”

“Have they found him?”

“I hope not,” Eyes closed, Eric fought back the urge to vomit, “They’ve found a body…”

“ _No_ ….” His chest crushing, Alex bit on his lip hard, conscious of where they were, “It can’t be…”

“Somebody has to go…” Eric shook his head, clearing it, “I can’t let my Papa do that...”

“I’ll come with you.”

“Alex, I…”

“I’m coming with you.”

*

“Hello, my name is Dr Fernandez, I'm on of the pathologists here...”

“I’m Eric Pedrosa, this is Alex Marquez.”

“Hello,” Sitting opposite them the friendly looking woman in her late fifties smiled kindly, “I realise this is a very horrible process for you. Now, what happens here is very different to what you might see on television. I have in this folder a few photographs; there are no fridges, no bodies on trolleys or anything like that.”

“Thank god,” Alex smiled nervously, the idea of seeing an actual body, _Dani’s_ _actual body_ , hideous.

“Now, this body is of a male, approximately twenty-seven to thirty-five years old, he has tanned skin, dark hair and brown eyes and he is around the height that is listed for Dani. Unfortunately, he has no ID and no completely identifying marks like tattoos so we’re not sure who he is. I do have to warn you that he was found in water and he has been deceased for some days so his face is a bit bloated.”

“Does he have scars?” Alex bit his lip, his nails bitten low, “Dani has scars.”

“He has several scars,” Dr Martinez nodded, opening her folder to reveal a small bundle of four photographs, face down, which she pushed onto the table, “There is no rush, when you are ready turn over one of the photographs and go from there.”

“Right…” Moving his hand to hover over one of the photographs, Eric looked to Alex, “Ready?”

Alex nodded, the lump in his throat preventing him from speaking, his heart in his mouth as Eric turn over the photograph.

*

“Eric? Eric is that you?”

Quickly walking into the lounge, his parents and grandmother sitting on the sofa, Eric shook his head, tears of relief on his face, “It’s not him. It wasn’t him.”

“Oh thank god!” Clinging to her mother, both women breaking down in sobs, Basilia shook her head, “It’s not him. It’s not him.”

*

Marc

| 

 

| 

Hey, where are you? Mama was expecting you for dinner  
  
---|---|---  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

Not hungry. Needing to clear my head after earlier  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

What happened earlier?  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

I went with Eric to identify a body  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

WHAT?! Where are you? Are you ok? Was it Dani?  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Alex where are you?  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Please answer bro  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

It wasn’t Dani. They have no idea who it was. Isn’t that sad? No-one is missing him  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Where are you?  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

How many more times will we do that do you think?  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

I don’t know mate. Where are you? I’ll come and get you  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Alex please answer your phone  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Alex?  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Alex are you ok?  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

I’m getting worried, where are you?  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Alex?  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

Can you come and get me?  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Sure. Where are you?  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

I think I need to go to hospital  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

What’s wrong? Where are you?  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

I punched a rock. I think something broke  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Where are you?  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

It’s not sore. Do you think that’s because of vodka?  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Probably vodka or shock. Where are you and I’ll come and get you?  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

I’ll just drive  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

No! Where are you?  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Alex do not drive!  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Alex!  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Answer your phone!!  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

I can’t get the car open. And it turned blue. I’m at the view point  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

I’m on my way. Do not move  
  
 

*

“Marc?”

Turning at Alex’s bedroom door, the drive to find his brother taking about half the time it should have, getting Alex into the car taking twice as long, Marc smiled, “What?”

“Thanks.”

Shaking his head, thanks not necessary, Marc leant against the doorframe, “You ok?”

“Not really…” Tears pooling in his eyes, Alex’s bottom lip jutted out, sadness overtaking his face, “I thought he was dead… I _really_ thought he was dead…”

Going back into the room, Marc clambered onto the bed, pulling Alex into a hug, holding his younger brother for the umpteenth time that month, the platitudes feeling more fake by the day, Alex's pained sobs piercing the Cervera night, crying himself to a restless sleep, both brothers left wondering how much longer Alex could cope with it all, “It’ll be ok. Sssh, it’ll be ok…”


	3. Friends and apologies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani faces the paddock

“I really am very sorry to have wasted your time,” Sitting at the table in the police station, the formica table top cracked and chipped, the edge raggedy as he ran his finger over it repeatedly, Dani’s shoulders were hunched, shame gripping him, “I will make a donation to the police charity.”

Her voice kindly the officer smiled, “We’re just glad you are ok. Just, maybe, if you feel the need to go away again just let someone know”

“I will. Well I won’t because I won’t go away again, but yeah… Sorry…”

*

@26_danipedrosa           Click here for my statement

_In January 2017 I made a decision to leave my home. I can’t fully explain why I did that; many things just got on top of me and I felt I could no longer cope. I have recently made contact with my family and friends and have come home to Spain. I wish to apologise profusely for the stress and upset I caused my family, friends and colleagues. I have made donations to the Missing Person Foundation and the charity who supported my family through the difficult times. I realise now that my actions were very selfish and although I never, ever, meant to hurt anyone I cannot apologise enough._

*

Flanked by Antonio and Morwenna, Dani kept his cap pulled low as they were scanned through the paddock entrance, a kaleidoscope of butterflies in his stomach. After much persuasion Dani had decided it was only fair to those in the paddock who’d helped search for him to show face sooner rather than later. The idea of being surrounded by the hustle and bustle of a race weekend was beyond contemplation, so for that reason it was a damp, chilly, November Monday morning that saw his visit. Slowing as he got closer to the HRC garage that was home for so long Dani paused awkwardly, Livio standing outside, taking to Santi, both of them with a cigarette in hand, “Hi.”

“Well,” Livio nodded, his voice as gruff as ever, but his face smiling, “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes!”

Nodding at Santi, his hands fidgeting with the sleeves of his hoodie, Dani shifted nervously from foot to foot, “I’m sorry for the trouble I caused you.”

“Are you ok Dani?” Patting Dani’s shoulder at his nervy nod, Livio smiled, genuine and as wide as the Italian ever did, “Then that’s all that matters. Your old crew, the ones still around the paddock are in hospitality. Tito won’t be going out in this so we’ve given them a couple of hours off. I know they’d love to see you.”

“Thank you,” Shaking Livio’s hand, then Santi’s, Dani smiled gratefully, “Thanks.”

*

*

Stepping into the hospitality area Dani found himself facing a wall of silence; conversations stopping and sentences trailing off as he came through the door. Waiting for a few moments Dani realised that everyone was looking at him, they were looking for his cue, waiting on him to decide how it was going to go. Shrugging his shoulders slightly Dani bit his lip, trying to keep the shakiness from his voice, “Have they fixed the coffee machine yet?”

“Fucking hell!” Shaking his head, making Dani panic for a second that he’d judged things wrong, Denis got out of his seat, bounding over toward Dani purposefully, “You got some hugs to give out before you get a coffee lad!”

Enveloped in Denis’ arms, the mechanic furious that Raul hadn’t passed on vital information to the rider, Dani felt tears roll down his face, wondering again how he’d ever thought leaving these people was the only way. Wiping his face with his sleeve, he tilted his head, “You working for Tito now you traitor?”

“Aye well, gotta pay the mortgage somehow,” Laughing a little, Denis unzipped his fleece, showing Dani a badge stitched to the inside of his jacket, Dani’s Samurai logo jumping out, “Nakamoto tried to say we couldn’t have anything because of branding… We weren’t having that, were we lads?”

Denis’ words had the rest of his old team, minus Ramon, opening their jackets, showing Dani where they had secreted their patch, making Marc shrug when they revealed he’d done the same, killing Dani’s nerves as they hugged and chatted, filling him in on new wives and girlfriends, proudly showing photographs of new babies; sharing with him what he’d missed, like he’d just been on holiday, making him feel at home once again.

*

“You’re back then?”

Standing at the barrier, watching one lonely bike out on track, only the newest team in the paddock feeling the need to brave the damp conditions, Dani turned in surprise, “Maverick… Yeah, I am.”

“That’s good,” Staring ahead, watching the bike take the wrong line through a track, the younger Spaniard’s jaw looked set and tense, perhaps, Dani thought, because he’d come so close to winning the title, Jorge only beating him the day before, but seemingly more, “You nearly ruined him you know…”

Turning, Dani raised his eyebrow, confused, and not committal, “Excuse me?”

“Alex,” Not looking at Dani, his shoulders high and tone defensive, Maverick pushed his hands in his pockets, “You almost ruined Alex.”

“I don’t…”

“Don’t bullshit me Dani,” Maverick turned, looking at Dani, his eyes piercing into Dani’s brain, the cogs whirring as pieces started to fall into place, “There’s only one reason I’d know that, and I couldn't even begin to compete with you even though you weren't here.... So please don’t insult me by bullshitting me... You nearly killed him. He was drinking, a lot... I've never heard someone cry like he cried... You wrecked him, you nearly finished him.”

“I never meant to hurt anyone,” Aware it sounded pathetic Dani shrugged at the incredulous look, the words and sentiment genuine, guilt making his voice wobble, “I didn’t. That’s why I did what I did rather than jumping… I thought it would be easier. For them.”

“It wasn’t.”

“I know that now.”

“If he doesn’t get into MotoGP…” Staring back through the fence, shaking his head, ostensibly about the poor line of the bike, but actually about Alex, Maverick’s lips were pursed, his eyes dark as he sighed, his tone turning more bitter, “If he doesn’t become a champion it’ll be on your head.”

“I know,” Dani nodded, aware Maverick was side-eyeing him as he wiped a lone tear from his cheeks, unashamed by his emotion, “I know.”

“I’m glad you’re back,” Maverick turned, ready to walk away, giving Dani once last look, a mixture of disgust, contempt and jealousy, “For his sake I’m glad you are back.”

*

“How did it go?”

Sitting on a sofa in the hospitality area, lost in his own mind, Dani jumped, before smiling at Alex, the younger man next to him, his hands holding a coffee picked up only to render himself unable to touch Dani, “Hey. Yeah, ok.”

“No negative reactions?”

“No,” Seeing the flicker of doubt on Alex’s face Dani quickly corrected himself, “Well not in here anyway.”

“Oh,” Taking a sip of the coffee, Dani’s worried tone making him desperate to take his hand, or kiss his forehead, Alex frowned, “Which bastard made you sad?”

“Noone made me sad,” Dani smiled, not wanting to make Alex feel bad about a single thing that happened while he was gone, “Maverick wasn’t exactly friendly.”

“Oh.”

“It’s ok.”

“I…”

“It’s fine,” Dani smiled, them still working through everything, a plan in place, but each of them aware that much work had to be done, “You owe me no apologies or explanations.”

“It wasn’t… For me I mean…” Alex tilted his head, a tinge of guilt in his stomach, too wrapped up in his own problems at the time to realise that he’d hurt Maverick, their few nights together an escape for him, but something more for Maverick, their personalities at that time the polar opposite to what people would have assumed, Alex the playboy and Maverick the homebody, “I was a bit shit to be honest.”

“I’m sorry that I did that to you,” Smiling at Alex, their eyes locked together for a moment, Dani glanced left, smiling kindly, “Hello Maria. How are you?”

*

“Dani!”

Turning, having steeled himself to face the few fans still congregating around the end of the paddock, the walk to the car seeming twice as long alone as it had with his father and friend beside him, Dani found himself wrapped in a red hug, confusing for a second before he remembered, “Hey Jorge.”

“Thank god you are ok,” Stepping back, clear emotion on his face, Jorge, slightly hungover from his title celebrations the night before, shook his head, “Never thought I’d be so pleased to see you!”

Dani laughed softly, guilt making his hands tremble, “I’m sorry.”

“Nah,” Jorge shook his head, a mix of happiness and sadness on his face, “You shouldn’t be sorry. We should be sorry. None of us realised you were struggling so much.”

“It’s nobody’s fault…”

“Well I daresay it’s someone’s, but better to move on and forge ahead than lose ourselves in the wonder of yesterday.”

“Don’t ever change Jorge,” Dani chuckled, the laugher hiding the ball of emotion in his throat, everything so similar yet so different as he pulled Jorge into another hug, slapping the younger man on the back as he stepped away, “Never change.”

“I won’t,” Jorge put his sunglasses on, tears in his eyes making him oblivious to the ridiculousness of his look in the cold winter rain, “Tell Alex I said hi.”

“I will,” Dani smiled, waving to the small group as he finally spotted the Honda, Alex in the driver seat. Running over, he hopped into the passenger seat, ignoring Marc and Morwenna in the back as he smiled at Alex, his grin wide and teary, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Alex frowned in concern, “You ok?”

“Yeah,” Looking out the window as he clipped his seatbelt into place, Dani shrugged, knowing it was stupid and knowing it was his own fault, “I just missed everyone. A lot.”

“You’re home now,” Switching on the engine, fighting back his own tears, Alex patted Dani’s leg, “Let’s go home.”

“I’d like that.”

“Where do you want to go?” Waiting for Dani’s answer Alex chewed on his lip, the past week a mix of nights in his house and Dani’s parents’ house, “Dani?”

“I just want to be home. With you. With everything fixed.”

“Well, we still need to work on the fixed bit,” Alex smiled, tears glinting in his eye, “What’s say we get rid of these two somewhere and go home? Just me and you?”

“I say yes please. I want to go home…”


	4. Awkward Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one feels a little clunky, but I don't want to lose the roll it's on so please forgive me.

"Well..." Marc laughed, his hands shoved in his pockets, watching his car screeching out of his driveway, Morwenna looking a little shell-shocked at Dani and Alex actually ditching them, "This is a little awkward..."

Laughing, the pitch nervous, Morwenna nodded, "Yep... I'll go get a hotel and organise my plans."

"You will not," Marc shook his head, before drawing his finger over his throat, "I'll get killed if I abandon you! Come in."

Feeling awkward as Marc opened the door, having spent a fair bit of time with him over the ten days that Dani had been home in Spain, but not just them landed together by two people driving off to have lots of sex, Morwenna fidgeted from foot-to-foot, "I don't want to get in your way..."

"Well..." Looking up at his house, an admittedly impressive looking Andorran villa, Marc shrugged, the smirk more in his eyes than on his face, "If you stay in the east wing and I stay in the west I may not even have to see your face... I'm sure Dani's manners will kick in at some point and he'll come back to claim you."

"Claim me?" Morwenna cackled, flicking the laughing Marc her middle finger, "I'm not a fucking cuddly toy he lost in a supermarket!"

"You are small enough..." Opening the door, glad the tension had been broken, Marc made a grand sweeping gesture with his hand, bowing down, "After you m'lady..."

*

"You have better taste in houses than your brother," Jumping over the back of the sofa, dying to laugh at Marc's shocked face, focussing on hiding her mortification that she forgot this wasn't Eric's house of no rules, Morwenna grinned, "Although, that's not _that_ difficult..."

"It's not," Marc chuckled before narrowing his eyes, watching Morwenna intently, "Are you dying of embarrassment about jumping onto my _very_ expensive sofa?"

"Yes," Morwenna's voice was more of a squawk as she hid her face in a cushion, “I can’t believe I did that!”

“Neither can I…” Keeping his tone serious for all of a millisecond before buckling Marc’s distinctive cackle filled the air, tears pooling at the corner of his eyes, “Your face…”

“Stop it!” Morwenna cringed, mortified, shaking her head and flicking her middle finger at Marc as he bellowed even louder, “I forgot I wasn’t at Eric’s. It was just so comfortable there.”

“I’m going to get some drinks. Please _try_ to restrain yourself around my furniture…” Using her knee to push himself up Marc headed for the kitchen, filing the comfortable comment in his brain, happy she felt comfortable in his house, “Do you want a beer?”

“Do bears shit in the woods?”

*

“It’s Dani…” Reaching for his phone Marc smirked as he swiped the screen, “Good evening St Joan home for abandoned English women, how can I help you?... … … … One moment Sir and I’ll see if anyone here fits that description… … … … No, I can’t see any particularly pretty young women. We do have one kind-of odd looking one with a funny eye and weird hair… Ow!”

Shaking her head as she took his phone, Marc chuckling as he rubbed the non-existent red mark on his arm, Morwenna sighed, “Hello, shouldn’t you be in bed balls deep in Alex by now?... Oh hello Alex, sorry Dani, you should have said I was on speakerphone…” Looking at Marc, both of them gleeful in amusement, Morwenna laughed, “So, why are you on the phone to me instead of focussing on the love of your life?.. … … STOP! I’m not a child, I have a bank card AND a passport, Marc appears to have beer and hopefully food so I shall be fine. Go have fun with Alex and we’ll catch up soon… … Dani, quit with the polite bullshit. You know you want to put the phone down, lock the door and hide away from the world with Alex for a while. I know you want to put the phone down, lock the door and hide away from the world with Alex for a while. Alex knows you want to put the phone down, lock the door and hide away from the world with Alex for a while. Marc knows you want to put the phone down, lock the door and hide away from the world with Alex for a while. Eric knows you want to put the phone down, lock the door and hide away from the world with Alex for a while. Your parents know you want to put the phone down, lock the door and hide away from the world with Alex for a while AND Alex’s parents know you want to put the phone down, lock the door and hide away from the world with Alex for a while so for the love of all things holy please just put the phone down, lock the door and hide away from the world with Alex for a while… … I love you too mate… You are very welcome, I’m glad I persuaded you to come home too. Good night Dani. Bye Alex!”

“They didn’t say goodbye to me,” Mock huffing as he took his phone back, Marc stretched out on the sofa, “So I have lots of bedrooms in my house…”

“Right…” Frowning, unsure where the conversation was going, Morwenna put her empty beer bottle down.

“And I have lots of spare beds in my house…”

“Right…”

“I don’t, however, have a washing machine.”

“Ok…”

“And I only have two duvets, people usually bring sleeping bags…”

“And?”

“And,” Marc cringed, his turn to flush pink in embarrassment, “I’ll have to give you the one that I had on Wednesday night… I did shower though, before bed!”

“You don’t have a washing machine?” Amused, Morwenna couldn’t resist, “Flashy house, nice car, sculpted muscles, world titles and his Mummy still does his washing, that’s classic!”

“Fuck you,” Marc laughed, slightly shamed, “She likes it. And I am very busy… And if you don’t stop picking on me I’ll give you the other duvet that I used for like three weeks…”

*

Alex

| 

 

| 

Dani is panicking about abandoning Morwenna. Please don’t break her  
  
---|---|---  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Jaja I’m not going to break her!  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

She’s female… And quite pretty…  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

And into women…  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

She had sex with Dani on several occasions  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

You sound very matter of fact about that? It really doesn’t bother you?  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

He was lonely, she was lonely… I’m glad someone was looking after him. It’s no different to what I did  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

I don’t know what is weirder – thinking about Dani with a woman or thinking about you with a guy who wasn’t Dani  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

It was Maverick, and Dani knows  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

WHAT?! Are you shitting me?  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

No. I got drunk. Very very drunk and headed for Yamaha. I just wanted someone to fuck me  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

How did you know Maverick would?  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

I didn’t  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

So why did you go to Yamaha?  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

I was very angry with you… I’m sorry  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

What do you mean?  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

Vale  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Seriously?  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

I could lash out at you and Dani in one go. I’m sorry  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

You have nothing to be sorry for. It’s all my fault the way things were  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

You didn’t… With Vale I mean, because he could use that against you  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

No. He wasn’t there. Mack took me back to his motorhome. Fed me. Poured me into bed. He understood how hard it is to be gay in the paddock. He guessed about Dani and became my person to talk too. One night one thing lead to another  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

I really hurt him  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

I can’t believe I didn’t even know this  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

It’s weird. We’re not long sorted, Dani is only just home and I already can’t imagine life without either of you  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

I missed you  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

I missed you too. Even when I tried to tell myself I didn’t I did  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

We won’t let it happen again. Now, go focus on Dani  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

Look after Morwenna  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

She’s a tough cookie, she can look after herself  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

Give her the clean duvet from the wardrobe in my room  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

You have a clean duvet?!?!  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

Yes. Give it to Morwenna. And buy a washing machine!  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Go fuck Dani  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

Already have ;)  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Thanks for that vision! Dick  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

Oh yes, lots of dick ;)  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Urgh!!!  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

Love you too!  
  
*

“More beer?”

“I’ll go if you want?” Pushing herself up, seeking revenge by using Marc’s thigh for leverage, Morwenna laughed as he pushed her bum, “Hands to yourself Marquez.”

“Just helping…” Flashing his best honest face Marc winked, both of them relaxed by alcohol, chatting about Dani and Alex giving them common ground, “I think we’ve drank everything from the fridge, but there’s more in the cupboard with the red door.”

“Can I steal food?”

“Help yourself,” Marc paused for a second before blushing red again, “I’m not sure what there is though. Probably some salad stuff…”

“I shall go scavenging.”

*

“One tomato, half an onion and a wilted lettuce does not a salad make…” Walking around the sofa, flicking her middle finger at Marc’s laugh at her for doing so, Morwenna chucked a pizza menu at Marc, “Found this though. Order me a chicken and mushroom pizza please.”

“Yes boss…” Marc saluted, then blushed as Morwenna looked him up and down, “What?”

“The submissive look suits you,” Morwenna laughed, before taking a quick swig of beer, the atmosphere slightly crackly, the pair of them side-by-side on the sofa, shoulders and knees touching, “Come on Marquez, pizza please.”

“Are you going to let me steal some of yours or do I need to order my own?”

“If you are too poor to buy your own I’ll shout you some…” Morwenna laughed, loud and hearty, at Marc’s incredulous look, the Spaniard shaking his head as he got up, “I’m rude, get used to it.”

“Hmm… Want to share some garlic bread?”

“No thanks.”

“Is that a genuine no thanks,” Marc brought the cordless phone to the back of the sofa, eyeing her suspiciously, “…because Alex often says no thanks then ends up stealing half…”

“Dani does that too!” Morwenna shook her head, both of them finding outrage in stolen food, “I don’t like garlic bread.”

“That’s worse than stealing!” Ducking a slap, Marc hit the speed dial button, “Hi, it’s Marc Marquez, can I have a delivery please?”

*

“How much do I owe you for the pizza?” Sitting at one end of the sofa, Marc opposite her, her legs stretched out toward him, her feet in his lap, his legs either side of hers, Morwenna smiled, completely relaxed as she rested her head on the back of the sofa.

Smiling, both of them happily drunk, Marc waved her away, “My treat. For making my brother the happiest man in the world.”

“They are happy, aren’t they,” Morwenna smiled warmly, “It’s amazing to see Dani happy. Xav was always sad, even on good days there was a sadness in his eyes.”

Finishing his bottle of beer, his last on account of having no more in the house, Marc nodded, understanding, “Alex was the same… He was so lost without Dani. So angry at the world…”

“I can’t imagine you two not talking.”

“Three years ago I couldn’t either…” Marc bit his lip, emotions swirling around in his belly as he remembered the darker days, “The injuries… They changed him. He struggled so much. Trying to get back to fitness, then he tried to come back, but after the first practise he just couldn’t… He was so lost…”

“He’s happy now,” Putting her hand on Marc’s leg, the touch comforting, Morwenna smiled, “Dani won’t ever leave him again.”

“I hope not. They belong together,” Marc rested his head on the back of the sofa, unconsciously mimicking Morwenna’s posture, “It’s weird, I was so against them at the start. It seemed so wrong… It was weird, now it’s weird to think of them not together. I feel guilty at the trouble I caused them.”

“Did you think you were doing right at the time?”

“Yeah.”

“Then that’s what counts at the end of the day,” Morwenna shrugged, smiling kindly at him, “We can only do our best, what we think is the right thing to do at the time and hope for the best.”

“Even if it goes spectacularly wrong and people get hurt?”

“What is the other option? Never take a chance on anything? Live in the same place doing the same things for the rest of our lives, just hoping that it’s ok?”

“Is that what you are doing with your travelling?” Resting his hand on her leg, the position strangely comfortable given they’d only known each other for around a week, Marc sounded curious, “Taking a chance?”

“Nah,” Morwenna laughed, “That was escaping.”

“From?”

“From not wanting to let my parents down. From being utterly confused about what I am, who I am.”

“Found any answers yet?”

“No,” Breathing hard Morwenna shook her head, her tone candid, body language open and honest, Dani trusting Marc implicitly making it easy to trust him, “Meeting Xav, Dani, it confused the world for me… I had a life that was mine, I was happy, no, not happy, resigned to it. I lived in a beautiful place with a secure job and home and although I had to forgo some things it was enough.”

Rubbing circles on her calf Marc smiled, “Dani changed that?”

“Yeah,” Morwenna laughed, “Not because he was the love of my life or anything, but he was different. He’d been places. I didn’t know what he was running from, but I knew he’d left somewhere and for something. He believed in something and he fought for it, even though it was hard… I could reason Dani; we were both lonely… Then I went to Italy…”

“Your boss and his cousin?”

“Yeah,” Morwenna shrugged, not embarrassed, her eyes closing as she remembered, “It was amazing… I think maybe I didn’t like any of the guys in my village and because I liked two of the girls that seemed… Is it a cliché to say I’m bisexual because of a hot Italian guy and good sex?”

“I think we fall for people,” Marc smiled, the glint hitting his eyes as well as his smile, “Genitals are pretty ugly regardless of which type. I think it’s the owner that counts.”

“Oh yeah?”

“I’ve never done anything with a guy, never met one that I would do anything with, but I can see why someone would. I like people because they make me laugh, or because I feel safe with them, or for whatever reason I just want to rip their clothes off… I don’t have a type as such, I just like who I like.”

“That’s a good way of thinking about it,” Morwenna smiled, sighing, “I guess I need to remake some plans. I think I was supposed to be in France by now.”

“Come on holiday with us, I mean if Alex is still coming then Dani will be coming… They might need some cover so…”

“I don’t want to piggyback onto Dani’s life. He’s home now…”

“He still needs you,” Resting his chin on his hand, his elbow on the back of the sofa, Marc shook his head, “You don’t seriously think Dani is just going to say ‘ _thanks for the friendship Morwenna_ ’ and then that be that, do you?”

“I don’t want to get in his way, or remind him of bad times.”

“You’re not in the way,” Marc squeezed her leg, “And you brought him home. If you save someone’s life you are responsible for them forever…”

“No chance!” Morwenna laughed, completely relaxed in Marc’s company, slouching more on the sofa, “I suppose I could look for an apartment for a few weeks or something.”

“If you do that you’ll offend me, Eric, Alex, Dani’s mother…”

“I don’t want to offend Basilia,” Shrieking as Marc grabbed her foot, just the threat of being tickled enough to have her almost grovelling in apology, “Please…”

“What’s it worth?” Wiggling two fingers just millimetres from the arch of her foot Marc waggled his eyebrows, “Beg nicely…”

“I don’t beg…” Morwenna bit her lip hard, Marc’s index finger brushing over her foot, making her squirm, “I **don’t** beg…”

“I bet you begged your boss and his cousin…” Holding onto her ankle with one hand Marc couldn’t help glancing down at the position they were in, Morwenna on her back, him on his knees between her legs, one of her legs in his grip, the other trapped against the back of the sofa by him, his eyes almost black as he looked back at her, “Yeah?”

“Different situation…” Subconsciously running her tongue over the bitten part of her lip, Morwenna looked Marc up and down, the denim of his jeans not hiding everything, “Marc…”

Letting go of her ankle, Marc crashed their mouths together, nothing gentle about the teeth or tongue involved, hands instantly roaming, tugging and scratching at skin and clothes, neither caring as they rolled onto the floor, the thump echoing around the room, a momentary pause as they looked at each other, a silent agreement being made.

‘ _Fun?’_

_‘No strings.’_

_‘No telling Dani or Alex.’_

_‘Just us.’_

_‘Yes?’_

_‘Yes!’_

_‘Now.’_

_‘Here.’_

_‘There.’_

_‘ **That**.’_

_‘Please…’_

_‘More…’_

_‘Now!_

Rolling onto her back, her skin sweat slick and sticky, Morwenna panted, trying to catch her breath, “Fuck.”

“Yep,” Marc reached out, tracing his index finger over her tattoo, the dark ink loud against her pale skin, “Fancy sharing the duvet?”

Turning her head, bravery taking over everything, Morwenna raised an eyebrow, making a show of looking Marc up and down, his cock twitching in interest, “What’s it worth?”

"I'll show you..." Marc hauled her to her feet before making her squeak by throwing her over his shoulder, their clothes abandoned as he headed up the stairs, throwing her on the bed and quickly crawling onto the bed, blanketing her, goosebumps over her skin as he pressed their mouths together again, less urgency, time available to take each other apart slowly.

 

 

 


	5. My

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another little update on Dani and Alex.
> 
> This one is for tumariposaroja :)

Standing at the window, looking over the river Thames, Dani wiped tears from his cheeks, emotion flooding him as he remembered the last time he’d been alone in the English capital. Pressing his head against the glass, the coldness somehow soothing, rain tapping against the frame, the London Eye lit up in Coca-Cola red catching the corner of his eye.

“You should be in bed…”

Smiling, two arms wrapping around his neck, a chin resting on his shoulder, Dani closed his eyes, relaxing against the other body, “So should you.”

“I couldn’t sleep alone…”

Turning, his breath still catching each time he looked at Alex, the depth in the younger man’s eyes always getting him, the affection still making him ask ‘ _Me? Really?_ ’ each time he witnessed it, Dani reached up on tiptoes, pressing the lightest of kisses to Alex’s lips, “I don’t ever want to sleep alone again…”

“You don’t have too…” Alex tilted his head, pulling an awkward face, before grinning, goofy and adorable, “Unless I manage to injure myself doing a stupid stunt in the gym and need to sleep at funny angles again again…”

Laughing, his eyes crinkling up in amusement, Dani let his head rock back, looking up at Alex, their chests touching, his naked, Alex’s covered by a t-shirt, “Only you could ride motorcycles at the speeds you do, but get hurt doing cartwheels in the gym.”

“Not just me,” Alex chuckled, before pulling his best ‘oops’ face, “Marc did too…”

“Livio fucking loved you both that day,” Dani laughed softly, before biting his lip, somehow always nervous, “I love you, you know that, right?”

“I know,” Alex leant down, capturing Dani’s mouth, his tongue lazily searching out Dani’s, time running away from them as they were oblivious to the ticking clock in the background, before he pulled away, tiny trail of saliva connecting them as he rested his forehead on Dani’s, “I love you too.”

*

“See you later?”

Standing at the door in his boxers, his hair ruffled by Alex’s hands, Dani nodded, stifling a yawn, “See you when the hour is a bit more reasonable.”

“Love you,” Leaning in to kiss Dani, Alex pulled an ‘eek’ face when they heard voices, jogging quickly along the corridor to his own room, diving on the bed as the voices got closer and more recognisable, wriggling his feet to mess up the sheet and duvet as his door was knocked and his name called, “Hang on!”

Padding over to the door slowly he messed up his hair, frowning as he opened the door, smiling faces looking back at him, “It’s too early…”

*

“Nervous?”

“No,” Answering too quickly, Eric laughing loudly and attracting the attention of the two dozen or so people queueing opposite them, Dani gave him his best stern look, Basilia too close to risk swearing, “Just hope they aren’t stuck in traffic or anything.”

“Stuck in traffic?” Eric snorted, highly amused by Dani’s anxiety, pointing to the opposite side of the river, the bridge connecting the two sides only a moment away, “Dani, he’s walking from over _there_ …”

“Shut up,” Turning to look down the river, watching the tourists wandering up and down with their cameras, maps in hand as they tried to decipher if they needed to turn left of right, Dani took a deep breath as he heard chatting Spanish behind him, the group of six that he was part of becoming a group of twelve. Taking one final breath he turned, tears making his eyes sparkle as he caught Alex’s eye, “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be…”

*

“Good morning ladies and gentlemen. My name is Sarah and I am a Registrar in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is my honour, and privilege, to welcome you into our very own bubble on the London Eye on this beautiful sunny day for the marriage of Alex and Dani.”

Facing each other, their families gathered to one side, Alex and Dani both grinned at the words, their hands clasped between them, neither wanting to let the other go; two long years of hard work, tears, rows and recriminations since Dani's return having lead them, finally, to this point.

“This place in which we are now met has been duly sanctioned according to law for the ceremony of marriage. This ceremony will unite Alex and Dani in marriage. We are here to celebrate their union and to honour their commitment to each other. We will celebrate with them, and for them… If any person present knows of any lawful impediment to this marriage they should declare it now…”

Shaking their heads as Marc and Eric both coughed in unison, everyone chuckling, the two lost themselves in each other, almost oblivious to everyone around them.

“Marriage joins two people in the circle of its love. It is a commitment to life, the best that two people can find and bring out in each other. It is both a physical and emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime. Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes that life is unable to avoid. Marriage is a promise written in the hearts of two people who love each other and it takes a lifetime to fulfil…. Morwenna has our first reading.”

 “He’s not perfect, by Bob Marley… … …” Morwenna smiled, her mascara already smudged by happy tears, her hands shaking slightly as she held the note containing her words, words she felt were perfect for the couple, “He’s not perfect. You aren’t either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can. He isn’t going to quote poetry, he’s not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break… Don’t hurt him, don’t change him, and don’t expect more than he can give. Don’t analyse… Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he’s not there. Love hard when there is love to be hard… Because perfect guys don’t exist, but there’s always one guy that is perfect for you.”

“Thank you Morwenna,” Sarah smiled, giving Morwenna a moment to step back between Marc and Eric, and for Dani to compose himself before continuing on, “The purpose of marriage is that you always love, care for and support each other through both the joys and sorrows of life. Today you will exchange vows or marriage which will unite you as husband and husband. These vows are a promise of a lifelong commitment giving your families and friends the opportunity to meet together in celebration of your happiness, imparting their own message of love and support… Before you are both joined together in marriage it is my duty to remind you of the solemn and binding character of the vows you are about to make. Marriage in this country is the union of two people voluntarily entered into for life to the exclusion of all others. I am now going to ask you each in turn to declare that you know of no legal reason why you may not be joined together in marriage.”

“I do solemnly declare that I know not of any lawful impediment why I, Alex Marquez Alenta, may not be joined in marriage to Daniel Pedrosa Ramal,” Grinning, wider than his brother had ever grinned in his life, Alex squeezed Dani’s hands.

His voice slightly shaky, from emotion rather than nerves, Dani nodded, “I do solemnly declare I know not of any lawful impediment why I, Daniel Pedrosa Ramal, may not be joined in marriage to Alex Marquez Alenta.”

To the background of soft sobs, happy ones, from the two mothers, Morwenna bravely resisting joining in, Sarah smiled kindly at the two men, “Alex and Dani, you have invited your guests here today to receive their encouragement and support, and to celebrate with you at this special time. I ask you now; Alex do you take Daniel to be your lawful wedded husband, to be loving, faithful and loyal to him for the rest of your life together?”

“I do,” Alex nodded, biting his lip, emotion beginning to catch up on him.

“And Daniel, do you take Alex to be your lawful wedded husband, to be loving, faithful and loyal to him for the rest of your life together?”

“I do.”

“Now we move onto the formal vows of marriage. Can I ask all of the guests to stand for this part please?”

Turning to Marc, his brother handing him the simple gold ring with a steady hand, Alex’s fingers trembled as he reached for Dani’s hand, “I give you this ring as a token of our marriage life together, and I call upon these persons, here present, to witness that I, Alex Marquez Alenta, do take thee, Daniel Pedrosa Ramal, to be my lawful wedded husband. All that I am I give to you, all that I have I share with you. I promise to love you, to be faithful and loyal, in good times and bad. May this ring remind you always of the words we have spoken today.”

“I give you this ring as a token of our marriage life together, and I call upon these persons, here present, to witness that I, Daniel Pedrosa Ramal, do take thee, Alex Marquez Alenta, to be my lawful wedded husband. All that I am I give to you, all that I have I share with you. I promise to love you, to be faithful and loyal,” Sliding the ring, a band of entwined white and yellow gold, like two ropes bound together as one stronger rope, one tear rolled down Dani’s face, a lump in his throat as he spoke the one thing he felt needed to be said by him, “…I promise to always be there, in good times and bad. May this ring remind you always of the words we have spoken today.”

“I’ll now ask Marc to step forward with his reading…”

“Yes, I’ll marry you my dear, and here’s the reason why…” Marc grinned, Alex and Dani having bravely let him and Morwenna choose their own readings, Alex’s eyes rolling as he realised Marc had gone for a funny one, “So I can push you out of bed, when the baby starts to cry… And if we hear a knocking, and it’s creepy and it’s late; I had you the torch you see, and **you** investigate… Yes, I’ll marry you, my dear, you may not apprehend it, but when they tumble drier goes, it’s **you** that has to mend it. You have to face the neighbour should our Labrador attack him, and if a drunkard fondles me, it’s **you** that has to whack him… Yes, I’ll marry you, you’re virile and you’re lean, my house is like a pigsty, you can help keep it clean. That sexy little dinner, which you served by candlelight, as I do chipolatas, you can cook it every night! It’s you who has to work the drill and put up the curtain track, and when I’ve got bad results it’s you who gets the flak. I do see great advantages, but none of them for you… And do before you see the light, I do, I do, I do!”

Smiling wide, the happiness of the couple in front of her, and their families, making her day at work one of the best of her career, Sarah looked at Alex and Dani, “The exchanging of rings is the traditional way of sealing the contract that you have just made. It is an unbroken circle, symbolising unending and everlasting love, and it is an outward sign of the lifelong promise that you have just made to each other… Today is a new beginning. May you have many happy years together, and in those years may all your hopes and dreams be fulfilled. Above all, may you always believe in each other and may the warmth of your love enrich not only your lives, but the lives of all those around you… Alex and Dani, it now gives me great pleasure to tell you both that you are now legally husband and husband…”

Fixated on each other, ignoring the clapping and crying next to them, Alex and Dani wrapped each other up; arms holding on tight as mouth found mouth, tongues snaking out to dance around the other, their eyes shut as their senses were invaded by the other, now bound together by as many laws as they were emotions.

*

@alexmarquez73

| 

 

| 

_Img.pic_ Today I married my best friend @danipedrosa26. The fact I have a husband is not traditional. The fact I’m going to be Alex Marquez-Pedrosa is not traditional. The fact I’m the happiest man in the world on my wedding day is traditional. It’s also all that matters to me.  
  
---|---|---  
  
@danip-m26

| 

 

| 

_Img.pic_ My Alex. My Choice. My Husband. My Everything. My World.  
  
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	6. Oh baby...

“Ignore it…” Latching his mouth to Morwenna’s neck, both of them still fully clothed, Marc groaned when his phone stopped ringing only for hers to instantly start, “Fuck’s sake…”

Looking at her phone, it abandoned on the coffee table in the lounge of Marc’s cousin’s home in Cervera, them not even have moved from the sofa yet, Morwenna frowned, “It’s Alex… Shit I missed it.”

“Well maybe…” Waggling his eyebrows, Marc ran his hand down her side, cheeky fingers finding skin under the hem, cursing as his phone began to ring, before they both shared a look, a moment of panic making him reach for the phone, “Alex, what’s up?... No she’s… Ok ok! Yes, she’s here… Right… Right… Why didn’t you tell us that was today?... Right… Ok… **What?**... We’ll be there in twenty minutes….”

Sitting up, adjusting her top, Morwenna looked nervous, “What’s wrong?”

“It was today…” Marc shook his head, his face showing the heartbreak he felt for his brother, “They said no…”

*

“I’m so nervous…” Pacing outside of the office, his heels clicking on the vinyl covered floor, Dani chewed on his bottom lip, “What if they say no?”

Reaching for Dani’s hand, tugging him into the seat next to him, Alex stroked his thumb over Dani’s skin, the nerves bubbling around in his stomach equally fiercely, “They won’t…”

“What if I’ve wrecked this? What if running away ruins…” Cut off by Alex, his husband silencing him with a kiss, chaste and soft due to the public nature of the building, Dani whimpered, “I’m so nervous…”

“I know,” Alex smiled, nodded when their name was called, smoothing his suit as they stood, “It’ll be fine.”

*

“Hey…” Padding into the kitchen of his parents’ home Alex found himself enveloped in a hug from his brother, him having kept himself strong the whole way back, Dani broken, Alex broke down in tears, “They said no… All this work and all this time and they said no.”

Wrapping his brother as tightly as he could, Marc shook his head, heartbroken for him, knowing how important it was to them, “I’m so sorry mate… I don’t know what to say. Why did they say no?”

“Because of me…” Appearing at the kitchen door, his face as crumpled as his shirt, Dani looked forlorn as he shrugged his shoulders, his eyes rimmed red and his cheeks tear stained, “It’s because I was a coward and ran away...”

*

_“Firstly,” The Chair of the panel smiled kindly, the woman nodding at both Dani and Alex in turn, “We’d like to thank you for expressing an interest in adoption. It’s a very difficult and challenging process and we know that to get to this stage you have put in a lot of time and effort so we thank you for that. … … Over the past four months since she was allocated to you Sofia, your Social Worker, has been compiling your prospective adopters report, your PAR, and that will form very much the basis of the panel’s decision. We’ve read through the report and we have compiled a list of questions that we would like to put to you, if that is ok?”_

_“Yes,” Alex nodded, looking at Dani for confirmation, before nodding again, “Of course.”_

_“I’m going to let Carlos, our medical expert, ask you the first question.”_

_“Thank you. Now my role on the panel is to examine the medical evidence that has been given by your GP’s and other medical professionals. I realise that some of my questions may seem extremely intrusive, but my job is to state whether I believe someone is medically fit to care for a child for the rest of the life, and, as you are aware, many of the children we place with adoptive parents come from very difficult backgrounds… Daniel, I noted on your records that you were recorded to have suffered from depression which caused you leave your home for a total of more than three years. Since your return have you had any counselling or treatment to deal with your issues?”_

_Nodding, the question completely expected, Dani smiled nervously, “I have had counselling. Some with Alex and some on my own.”_

_“So you consider yourself cured of your depression?”_

_“Yes,” Dani nodded confidently, the past years having gone well, “I do.”_

_“How do you cope with difficult situations now?”_

_“I talk to Alex mostly, or my brother. I also realise now that there are very few problems in life that cannot be fixed, it’s just a case of working out how and it’s much easier not to do that alone.”_

_“Would you say that you rely on Alex, emotionally?”_

_“Erm,” Dani floundered, not having expected that, “Not any more than any other person in a relationship I don’t think.”_

_“Do you think you would tend to leave difficult decisions to Alex? Perhaps always allow him to have the final say?”_

_“No, I don’t think so.”_

_Interjecting, not appreciating the man’s tone, even though his questions were probably necessary, Alex squeezed Dani’s leg, “We’re very much an equal partnership.”_

_“Would you say you often step into things when Dani is struggling?”_

_Alex shrugged, not really understanding why that would be a negative, “We both do. Its what husbands do, surely? If Dani is struggling then I step in to help him, and if I am struggling then he steps in to help me.”_

_“And which of you would you say struggled the most often?”_

*

Sitting around the table in the kitchen, the scene of so many family gatherings over the years, Dani rested his head on Alex’s shoulder, the tears pooling in the corner of his eyes, “I’m so sorry.”

“Hey,” Alex shook his head, tone stern, the look on his face only sadness, no sign of blame, “We knew going into this process that it may not work. They were concerned about the fame thing too… I have you, that is **all** I need.”

His lip quivering, Dani wiped his face with his sleeve, his voice small, “I know I’m all you need, but we wanted more… I wanted you to have more.”

“Can’t you do something to change their minds?” His eyes narrowing in annoyance, believing the panel to be very wrong, Marc queried the finality of the decision, “Ask for another panel, or a different social worker, or go on a course or something?”

“No,” Alex shook his head, his bottom lip jutting out as his voice began to waver, “The panel send their recommendation to a decision maker so it’s not _final_ final yet… But in the last ten years the decision maker hasn’t once gone against the panel recommendation…”

“Oh guys…” Scooting around the table until she was behind them, Morwenna wrapped an arm around each of their shoulders, “I’m so sorry.”

*

“Hey,” Looking up from his laptop, Dani smiled, Alex arriving home from a training session with Marc, the younger man having taken to training even harder in the weeks since the adoption rejection was made official, “You ok?”

Nodding quickly, Alex kicked off his shoes, tugging impatiently on the zip of his lycra cycling suit, “I’m going for a shower.”

“You’ll turn into a merman if you keep showering at this rate…”

“I don’t want to smell!” Instantly regretting the biting tone, Alex put his hand up to massage his temples, his tone contrite, “I’m sorry… I’m just… I’m trying to deal with the rejection and I’m not doing it very well.”

“That’s understandable. You wanted kids, you want kids…”

“Not more than I want you,” Definitive and honest Alex looked Dani square in the eyes, the tone serious, the atmosphere in the room charging, “I wouldn’t change a second of my time with you. Not one second.”

“Apart from…”

“No,” Alex shook his head, laughing almost incredulously, “Not even that, because without that, without everything we’ve been through we wouldn’t be here… And here,” Looking around their home, still slightly amazed that it was his, that Dani was his and they were married, Alex’s eyes glittered as he smiled, “Here is the best place in the world… And maybe it’s not going to be filled with the kids we expected it to be, but this is home. My home. My home with you, and I wouldn’t change it.”

“Promise? Promise me we can get through this?” Letting Alex tug him from the sofa, their fingers lacing, Dani bit his bottom lip hard, “I feel like I’ve robbed so much from you.”

“I promise,” Pulling Dani into a kiss, the softness quickly being discarded, the neediness taking over in the form of sharp teeth and demanding tongues, hands pulling on clothing, both of them tumbling to the floor, exposed cock rubbing against composed cock, rutting on the floor in a desperate bundle of limbs, ignoring the burn of carpet on Dani’s back, glad of the neighbours being so far away as Dani’s finger traced down Alex’s hole, spit slicked enough to push in a little, that enough to throw Alex over the edge, come splattering between them, that enough to haul Dani with him, leaving them both sweaty and panting on the floor, clinging to each other for dear life, that everything they needed.

*

Morwenna

| 

 

| 

Are you around at any point this week? I need to talk to you about something  
  
---|---|---  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Your place or mine? ;)  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

No, I need to actually talk to you…  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

That sounds ominous…  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

It’s not really a text conversation  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Are you pregnant?  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

No, don’t panic. I took the morning after pill.  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Right. I forgot about that.  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

You forgot about hiding in the footwell of the car when I went to the chemist?  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Sorry. Busy week. Are you ok?  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

I’m fine. Just need to talk  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Ok. I’m flying back on Tuesday. I could meet you somewhere after I land?  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

Can you come to mine? More private  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Ok. Are you sure you are ok?  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

Yeah, I’m fine x  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Good. Call me any time if you’re not. x  
  
*

Opening the door of her flat Morwenna frowned, Marc stood on the step, “You have a key?”

“I know, but you’ve been weird all weekend and I think I know why so I thought it best to knock.”

Shaking her head, doubting Marc had any idea of the upcoming conversation, Morwenna waved him in, “You don’t ever have to knock Marc.”

*

“So,” Setting the cup of coffee down on the table, Marc turning toward her on the sofa, Morwenna grinned, “Congrats on the win, champ…”

“Not yet…” Marc crossed his fingers, his season going amazingly well, “One more win and its mine… However, that’s not why I’m here so spill…”

“Well, I’ve been thinking a lot about something. I know we’re not serious or anything, but…”

“It’s ok,” Patting her leg, Marc chuckled, “It was bound to happen one day. What’s his name?”

“Who?”

“The guy?”

“What guy?”

“Ooh is it a girl?”

“Who?”

“Your new boyfriend or girlfriend…”

“I don’t…” Morwenna shook her head, feeling like the conversation had just got more difficult, “That’s not what this is…”

“No?” Unconvinced until Morwenna shook her head, Marc frowned, “Then what is it about?”

“I… I want to have a baby…”

*

“Hello?”

Lying on the sofa, his head on Alex’s lap, Dani smiled, “In the living room!”

“Hi,” Morwenna smiled, Marc appearing behind her like a shadow, “Sorry for turning up unannounced…”

“That’s fine,” Alex looked at Marc, noticing the deep furrow in his brother’s brow, raising an eyebrow, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong,” Fidgeting nervously Morwenna twirled her bangle around her wrist, “I was wondering if we could have a chat about something?”

Sitting up, the concern for his friend written all over his face, Dani narrowed his eyes, “Are you pregnant?”

“No,” Morwenna shook her head, laughing, pointing a thumb at Marc, “That’s what he said. Jesus, it was **one** scare… And he was the one who broke the condom…”

“Urgh…” Alex covered his ears with his hands, grimacing, “Do not want to know!”

“Sorry,” Blushing bright red, Morwenna shook her head, trying to get back to the point, “I need to talk to you about something… Both of you…”

Catching the seriousness in her tone, Dani nodded, slowly and looking concerned, prodding Alex’s ribs and giving him a look that conveyed his concern, “Kitchen table?”

“Yeah,” Morwenna nodded, glancing at Marc, his expression unreadable, “Kitchen table.”

*

“You want to have a baby?”

“Yes.”

Tilting his head, Alex blinked twice, glancing quickly at Marc before looking back at Morwenna, Dani sat beside him, mute with shock, “You want to have a baby _for us_?”

“Yes,” Morwenna nodded, her tone confident, not pushing, just laying the option on the table for them, “I think you’d be excellent parents. I think that panel were wrong to use the past against you. I don’t know anyone who has worked so hard to get to a place like you two have… Any child would be lucky to have you.”

“What about you?” Finally finding his voice Dani spoke up, his tone full of concern, “You want to be a mother one day.”

“I do,” Agreeing, realising full honesty was the only way this could work, Morwenna smiled widely, “One day I want to have children of my own, but that day isn’t today.”

Sceptical, Alex frowned, deep lines appearing on his forehead, his nose crinkling in disbelief, “So you’d just hand over your baby?”

“No,” Shaking her head, reminding herself that she’d caught them completely off guard so any snap judgements being made weren’t well thought out decisions, “I would hand over **your** baby.”

“It’s illegal,” Remembering their hours pouring over the internet, pre and post the adoption process, Dani shrugged, “It’s a lovely offer, but…”

“It’s not illegal everywhere… I’d offer you my eggs so we wouldn’t need a clinic involvement if you were happy for me to do home insemination… It wouldn’t be a surrogacy agreement really… It would just be two people having a baby together and one of them being the primary carer. That’s not illegal…”

“So you’d have a baby with one of us? And then we’d bring it up?” Taking it all in, Alex looked at Marc, his brother’s chin resting on his hand, his elbow on the table, the look on his face showing Alex that he was deep in thought, “What do you think of this idea?”

Marc shrugged, the nonchalance not fooling anyone else at the table, “It’s not really anything to do with me…”

“Of course it is,” Alex looked between Marc and Morwenna, rolling his eyes, years of pretending they weren’t anything special making it normal for the other two, “What if you two have children down the line?”

“We’re not…” Faltering, Marc’s face stony, his eyes dark and hiding something, Morwenna’s palms went clammy, “Marc?”

Crossing his arms, everything about him, tone included, defensive, Marc shook his head, “It’s nothing to do with me.”

“Maybe…” Torn, feeling that on one hand he should dismiss the idea completely, but the possibility of having a family with Alex making him want to grab it, Dani took charge, “Maybe we should all think about this and then discuss it again after the next race?”

*

Morwenna

| 

 

| 

Congrats on pole! Good luck tomorrow x  
  
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*

Morwenna

| 

 

| 

Well done!!! Another title! Congratulations. So proud of you x  
  
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*

Morwenna

| 

 

| 

Enjoy your party! x  
  
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*

Alex

| 

 

| 

Where are you?  
  
---|---|---  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

Hey you! Well done on your race. I’m at home  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

What? Why?  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

Because it’s Sunday and I don’t work on Sundays?  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

No, why are you not here?! Are you coming to the party?  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

I wasn’t invited x  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

You don’t need an invitation! You have a pass!  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

My pass is done round by round. Marc always texts me on the Wednesday when he’s leaving one.  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

Your pass is a season long one. It has been for two years  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

No, Marc always texts me when he’s leaving one. Have a good party baby babychamp x  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

Answer when I call you  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

I’m going to bed. Go enjoy your party. Don’t let your brother steal any traffic cones this time ;) x  
  
*

“You know this is getting ridiculous, don’t you?”

Turning to look at his brother, his eyes narrowed by alcohol consumption, Marc furrowed his nose in confusion, “What is?”

“You and Morwenna,” Clamping a hand on Marc’s shoulder, both of them on the wall outside Honda hospitality, Alex shook his head, “Nope. You are staying here…”

Holding up a mostly empty champagne bottle Marc shook his head, “Today is a happy day. Only talk about happy things.”

“And Morwenna makes you fucking happy…”

“It’s complicated.”

“No. It really isn’t. You’re both just too stubborn. It’s been _years_ ….”

“I know.”

“So?”

Marc sighed, so hard he almost toppled off the wall, Alex grabbing the back of his hoodie, “She’s not here… If it was more she’d be here.”

“She said you didn’t invite her…” Wincing slightly at how much he sounded like their father, Alex puffed out his cheeks, beyond exasperated, “Why didn’t she know her pass was valid for every race?”

Shrugging, almost toppling again, Marc tapped his fingers on the top of the wall, like a frustrated drummer who’d lost his sticks, “It’s just… It is what it is, you know?”

“No, I don’t know…”

“She’s just there, when she needs to be there. Then when she’s not she’s not. It’s… It just is what it is.”

“Do you love her?”

Tilting his head back, looking up at the stars, Marc bit his lip hard, “I don’t know how to answer that. Honestly I don’t…”

“You need to work this out…” Alex’s tone was cautious, aware that pushing Marc too hard often backfired, his eyes darting around, concerned they may be overheard, “She and Dani have been talking more about this baby thing…”

“I know.”

“It might happen…” Biting his lip, Alex was careful as he chose his words, “It won’t happen without your blessing.”

“It’s nothing…”

“Marc,” Alex scolded, shaking his head, “If you love her. If you see a future with her then it’s very much your business. Your children and mine and Dani’s would be related… And, well, I don’t want to put pressure on you, but we’ve agreed, me and Dani, it’s not happening unless we’re **all** , all four of us, completely happy and on board with it…”

“I can’t take that away from you…” Marc looked at Alex, tears in his eyes, his heart breaking in unexpected ways, “I can’t take your chance to be a father away from you…”

“And **I** can’t take **your** chance to be a father away from you…” Fixing Marc with a look for a moment, firmly of the belief that Marc was completely and utterly in love with Morwenna, he and Dani laughing frequently about when the pair would realise they’d effectively been in a relationship for several years, Alex patted his brother’s shoulder and headed back inside, leaving Marc to think.

*

“What the?” Jumping in fright, two hands snaking around her waist in the dark, waking her, Morwenna’s heart raced, “Marc?”

“Sssh…” Behind her, his fingers sneaking under the hem of her sleep shirt, the room pitch black, Marc pressed his mouth to Morwenna’s neck, his tongue finding the spot that made her moan softly, “Sssh…”

“What are you doing here?”

Not answering, instead nipping on her neck gently, his sharp teeth scraping the skin, his clothes in a pile on the floor, Marc’s hands trailed upward, deft fingers finding Morwenna’s nipples, rolling them, tugging gently in the way he knew she liked, her objections silenced by a sharper nip to the neck, “I love you… Sssh… Just… Sssh…”

Reaching to tug on the hem of her top, Marc crawled over her, tossing the t-shirt aside, his mouth finding hers as he pressed her back into her pillow, his tongue bossy and demanding as it pushed into her mouth, his hand trailing down her side, not stopping until his fingers were between her legs, pressing and rubbing gently, before one frustrated tug sent the sound of ripping fabric echoing around the darkness, Morwenna gasping, half in fright, half in anticipation, Marc wasting no time in finding her clit, his thumb firm, almost as bossy as his tongue, his ministrations relentless until she was wriggling and writing, his name screamed out as two fingers were pushed inside her, holding her on the edge for an age, taking her close before slowing, holding her there, teasing relentless, pulling desperate noises from her, before fumbling in the drawer for a condom, the crackling of the paper louder in the dark, quickly swapped for the scream of his name as he pushed in, bottoming out in one thrust, Morwenna’s nails scratching at his back as the pace was found. Hard, fast, needy… More.

*

On her hands and knees, not caring that her bare arse was in the air, Morwenna glared at Marc, the pain ripping through her abdomen, “I hate you… I really fucking hate you…”

“I’m sorry…” Feeling utterly useless, Marc glanced at the midwife, her just shaking her head, reminding him of the warning before labour started, “I’m really sorry…”

Bursting into floods of tears, Morwenna pressed her face into the pillow, sobbing hard, “I’m sorry. I’m so evil to you. I’m so sorry.”

“Hey,” Reaching out, Marc stroked her back, smiling softly, “Don’t worry. It’s ok…”

Screaming as another pain threatened to tear her in two, Morwenna snapped her head up, growling at Marc, “It is **not** ok… AAAAAAAAAArrrrgggghhhhhhh….”

*

“One tiny little push Morwenna…”

“I can’t,” On her back, exhausted, Morwenna shook her head, “I can’t.”

Taking her hand, Marc brushed her hair off her face, opting for a tone of supportive, but firm, “Yes you can. One more push… You’ve done so well, I’m **so** proud of you.”

“I can’t,” Crying, feeling utterly defeated, Morwenna looked at Marc, disconsolate, “I’m sorry…”

Shaking his head, Marc pressed a kiss to her lips, “You are the strongest person I know. You got Dani home after years. You gave Dani and Alex the best gift in the world… Come on, one push…”

“One…” Squeezing Marc’s hand, Morwenna closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, giving it everything she had, feeling the midwives’ hands fussing around her nether regions; her eyes shooting open as a cry echoed around the room, “Oh… The baby…”

“The baby is here…” Marc kissed her again, pride written all over his face, “You did it, you did it!”

“I did it,” Fighting for breath, Morwenna sobbed as the midwife put the red wriggling bundle on her chest, “Oh… Hello baby… What is it?”

Encouraged by the midwife Marc lifted the towel, tears rolling down his face, “It’s a girl. She’s a girl…”

*

@marcmarquez93

| 

 

| 

_Img.pic_ One person can change your whole life… This little girl, Eva, has certainly changed mine.  
  
---|---|---  
  
*

“Hi…” Sat up in her hospital bed, Eva asleep in her little goldfish bowl crib, Morwenna wagged a finger at Dani, “Don’t make me cry Pedrosa…”

Biting his lip, Dani took a shuddery breath, “Can’t promise anything… The papers came through today…”

“Oh…” Morwenna gave in on the battle, letting the tears stream down her face, throwing her arms around Dani, “I’m so happy for you.”

Stepping back, holding Morwenna’s hands, almost oblivious to Marc and Alex coming into the room behind them, Dani shook his head, “I owe you everything…”

“You owe me nothing.”

“I do,” Dani turned around, looking at Alex, “I owe you my husband… And my daughter… Thank you, thank you so much…”

*

@alexmarquez73

| 

 

| 

_Img.pic_ Lucia got the best second birthday present ever… She got to share it with her baby cousin Eva! Welcome to the world little one. I’m sure you’ll both be great friends growing up! Congratulations @marcmarquez93  & @morwennap, @danipedrosa26, Lucia & I are thrilled for you xx  
  
---|---|---  
  
 

 


	7. Mama

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for any tears...

“Papa!” Barrelling through the door, schoolbag dumped in the middle of the floor, Eva threw herself at Marc, the long fly-away races torturous when you are six and have school to attend, “I saw your race! I saw your race! You won, then Uncle Alex won, then **you** won again!”

Wrapping his daughter in a warm hug, hating the fact that starting school (which in his opinion she was too young to do) meant he had to leave her behind for three whole weeks, Marc pressed a kiss into her hair, reminding himself of the orange scent of her favourite shampoo, “I missed you, munchkin. Have you been good for your Mama?”

“I have, I have!” Bouncing with excitement, Marc having promised to bring her a new stuffed kangaroo from Phillip Island; kangaroos being, in Eva’s opinion, the best animals in the world, Eva shrieked as he pulled a paper bag from the side of the sofa, “Can I open it, can I open it?!”

Chuckling softly, Morwenna leaning on the doorframe watching their interaction, life not easy since the arrival of Eva, their relationship often shaky, almost broken on several occasions, Marc nodded, “Go on then.”

“A KANGAROO!!!! Mamaaaaaa!” Holding aloft the small stuffed toy, her face lit up, looking more like Marc by the day, Eva grinned, before frowning in confusion, lifting a smaller kangaroo out of the bag, “Is this for Lucia?”

Tilting his head, the chill over his niece’s name unusual, the girls joined at the hip, Marc frowned, “It’s not, but would it be a problem if it was?”

“Not for me, but she wouldn’t want it,” Turning to Marc, suddenly beyond suspicious, Eva’s eyes went wide, hoping her birthday wish list was coming true, “Am I getting a SISTER?”

“Maybe…” Letting out an ‘oof’ as Eva jumped on him, before abandoning him to run to Morwenna, Marc cautioned his daughter, “Be careful of Mama’s tummy.”

“Sorry Mama!” Her little arms wrapped around Morwenna, Eva looked up, her big brown eyes begging her mother to confirm the news, “Are we really getting a baby?”

Leaning down, her bump still small and neat, having kept it from Eva for five months, Morwenna smiled, “It’s not for a while yet, not til after Christmas and Papa’s birthday, AND it might be a brother and not a sister, but yes, we’re having a baby.”

“YES!” Pressing her head to Morwenna’s belly Eva cracked them both up, her voice at full volume, “HELLO BABY! I AM YOUR BIG SISTER. YOU ARE NOT GETTING MY ROOM, BUT I WILL SHARE MY TOYS. NOT MY PONY THOUGH, THAT’S JUST FOR ME YOU’LL BE TOO LITTLE!”

*

Dani

| 

 

| 

Hey. Did Eva say anything about school or Lucia today?  
  
---|---|---  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

No, why?  
  
Dani

| 

 

| 

She’s really quiet. She wasn’t even that excited about Alex coming home. He’s pretty gutted. She wouldn’t even let him read to her tonight. I’m wondering if she’s coming down with something?  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

I’ll go and ask her. Bedtime has gone completely awry as we told her about the baby  
  
Dani

| 

 

| 

Ha! I can imagine. Let me know if she says anything. Also if Lucia has picked something up…  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

I shall prepare myself for Eva going down with it!  
  
*

“Hey…” Poking her head around Eva’s bedroom door, Marc sat on the edge of her bed reading her a story, Morwenna smiled, the sight of Marc, tough racer, reduced to making funny voices as he read stories always making her happy, “Did you see Lucia at school today?”

Shaking her head, her eyes still on her storybook, Eva refused to look up, her mother the queen of reading looks, “No.”

“Not at all?” Morwenna frowned, sharing a curious look with Marc, Eva and her cousin normally joined at the hip before, after and during breaks at, school, “Eva?”

Letting out a sigh, Eva’s bottom lip wobbled, her eyes still focused on the book, “Lucia isn’t my friend anymore.”

“Why not baby?” Giving her a moment, Marc tilted his daughter’s chin up, the tears pooling in her eyes making him want to weep, “Have you fallen out?”

The shake of her head almost imperceptible, Eva shrugged her shoulders, the bewilderment on her face genuine, “She just said she didn’t want to be my friend anymore. I think it was because of the newspaper. Can I finish my story now?”

“What newspaper?” Moving over to sit next to Marc, Eva obviously upset with herself for slipping about the newspaper, Morwenna, tilted her head, catching Eva’s eye, “What newspaper?”

“I’m not supposed to tell you…”

“You can tell us anything,” Marc smiled his best smile, stroking Eva’s hair from her face, “I’m the world champion, it’s the rules that I’m allowed to know.”

“No, it isn’t,” Eva giggled, the barriers still wavering, before she sighed, shrugging her shoulders, “You know Pascal? The German boy in Lucia’s class?”

“Yeah?” Marc looked at Morwenna, both of them silently cursing, the boy having been in trouble the previous year for repeating his parents’ opinions on Lucia having two fathers, “What about him?”

“He brought in this newspaper,” Eva pouted, shaking her head, “He was really mean to Lucia… You know how those footballers have adopted a baby? The gay ones?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, the article was about them, but it talked about Lucia too,” Frowning, little lines appearing on her forehead, Eva looked at Morwenna, her voice filled with curiosity, “Mama, why didn’t you want to be Lucia’s Mama? Pascal said that Lucia was obviously a horrible baby because even her Mama didn’t want her.”

“Well,” Taken aback for a second, the situation never hidden from the children, the questions just harder and blunter as they got older, Morwenna smiled kindly, Eva obviously nervous about asking, “It wasn’t that I didn’t _want_ to be Lucia’s Mama, it’s just that I never was her Mama… Uncle Dani and Uncle Alex wanted to have a baby, but it’s only some ladies that can grow a baby in their tummies… So I let Uncle Dani and Uncle Alex borrow my tummy so that they could have Lucia.”

“Is this baby in your tummy your baby?” Her brain clearly ticking, processing the information, Eva tilted her head at the nod, “Because you and Papa put this baby there? Like me.”

“Exactly,” Not looking at Morwenna, talking about sex still making him giggle like a teenager, Marc brushed Eva’s hair with his hand, “So you see, it was different.”

“Like when Uncle Alex put Uncle Dani’s new bike in our garage?” Looking up at her father, their almost-identical eyes locked on each other, Eva reasoned it out in the way children do, “It wasn’t **our** bike just because it was in our garage, we were just looking after it until Uncle Dani’s birthday?”

“Yeah,” Morwenna smiled, proud of the way her daughter just accepted the situation, “Just like that.”

“Pascal made Lucia sad. She told him she did have a Mama,” Eva looked at Morwenna, her face sad for the cousin she idolised, “And he told her that you didn’t love her because if you did you’d have keeped her.”

“Well Pascal just doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Kissing her daughter’s forehead, Morwenna smiled, “You all out of questions?”

“Yep runned out like Santi didn’t give me enough fuel!” Eva giggled, Uncle Santi the only adult cool enough to allow mickey taking, snuggling down in her bed, slight look of worry on her face, “Do you think Lucia will be my friend again soon?”

“I’m sure she will,” Nodding to Marc, he instantly aware of where she was going, Morwenna smiled as she caught the kiss blown to her by Eva, “Caught it, throwing it back… Papa will finish tucking you in. Night night, sleep tight…”

“MAKE SURE THE BED BUGS DON’T BITE!”

*

“Hi, sorry it’s late…”

Stepping back, realising Morwenna may be able to shed some light thanks to Eva, Alex smiled, “Eva settled yet?”

“Yeah, Marc’s just finished scraping her off the ceiling,” Kissing Alex on the cheek, both of them sharing a smile, Morwenna padded through to the lounge, Dani lying on the sofa in his joggers, “I think I know what the problem is… Can I go and talk to her?”

Frowning in confusion, sharing a look with Dani, Alex nodded, “Of course…”

“I’ll explain all when I come down…” Heading up the stairs, their houses identical, sitting side-by-side in the plot originally only containing Marc’s house, Morwenna knocked on the door that in the other house would be Eva’s, “Luc, can I come in?”

“Why are you here?” Genuinely surprised Lucia forgot her frostiness for a second, her relationship with her aunt supremely close, their bond special, before she frowned, “I’m going to sleep now.”

“Not yet kiddo,” Sitting on the edge of the bed, the room almost identical to Eva’s, Morwenna smiled fondly, “Want to tell me about Pascal?”

“I knew she’d tell!” Huffing, Lucia rolled onto her side, facing the wall, away from Morwenna, her duvet pulled up to her chin, ignoring her aunt.

“She was worried about you. She didn’t mean to tell us about the newspaper, but I’m glad she did because it seems that you believe some of what Pascal told you…” Reaching out to brush Lucia’s hair to the side, ignoring the flinch even though it made her want to cry, Morwenna settled against the headboard, “Your situation is different to the footballer’s baby… They had a baby with a surrogate they didn’t know.”

“It’s the same,” Her voice muffled from the duvet, Lucia sniffed, trying to hide the tears.

“It’s not really,” Crossing her legs, cursing the effect of pregnancy on her bladder, Morwenna smiled, “I wouldn’t have had a baby for someone I didn’t know, in fact I wouldn’t have had a baby for anyone else… Your Daddy and Papa were going to adopt a baby, but the panel said no…”

“I know.”

“They were so sad. I knew they’d be excellent parents, that they’d give a child, you, a perfect happy home… So I said I’d loan them my tummy so they could have you.”

“Didn’t you want to keep me?” Rolling back over, her dark eyes imploring Morwenna for the right answer, Lucia’s bottom lip quivered, “Did you not love me?”

“Oh I loved you…” Stroking the little girls face tenderly, Morwenna bit her lip, “I cried when I gave you to Dani and Alex. Uncle Marc had to hug me while I sobbed and sobbed. You were such a beautiful little baby. So cute and pretty.”

“Why didn’t you keep me?”

“Because you weren’t mine to keep… You were your Daddy and your Papa’s daughter, I just had a loan of you for a while…”

“Like when you babysit me?”

“Yeah,” Morwenna fought back a tear, nodding, lifting her arm and feeling utter relief when Lucia snuggled into her side, “Like that, and like when your Daddy and Papa babysit Eva… I wouldn’t like it if they just kept her forever…”

“No,” Shaking her head, her fingers fidgeting with the duvet as she thought about it, Lucia smiled, “Uncle Marc would break the door down.”

“He would,” Morwenna chuckled, kissing Lucia’s forehead, “Just like your Daddy and your Papa would do if I kept you.”

“But you did love me?”

“Oh Luc… I love you to bits. I’m the luckiest lady in the world, you know why?”

“Why?”

“Because I get to look at my beautiful niece and know that I helped her into the world… I get that special bond that me and you have; no-one else has that.”

“Will we always have that? Even when Eva is eight too? Or when the new baby arrives?”

“Luc, we will always have that even when you and Eva are all grown up with houses of your own…” Morwenna wiped a tear from her eye, scolding herself for wishing ill on Pascal, him only eight, “Shall we go downstairs and chat?”

“Will you tell them?” Lucia looked down, shrugged her shoulders, “They’ll think I’m silly.”

“Oh they won’t, I promise you they won’t.”

“I didn’t hug Daddy when he came home,” Looking guilty, Lucia bit her lip, “I was just too sad.”

“Well, why don’t you go and hug him now? Then I’ll ask them if we can sack off school tomorrow and we’ll all go to my house, watch Nemo on the big sofa beds and eat popcorn?”

“REALLY?” Lucia grinned, wrapping Morwenna in a huge hug before tugging on her hand, “Come on!”

*

“Daddy?” Pausing in the lounge doorway, Alex and Dani both on the edge of their seats, waiting, Lucia looked to Morwenna for reassurance, before bolting across the room, throwing herself at Alex, “I missed you SO MUCH!”

Relieved, his eyes closed to hide the tears, Alex scooped her into a hug, “I missed you too. More than anything.”

“More than coffee?”

“More than coffee...”

“More than chocolate?”

“More than chocolate…”

“More than the fishes in the pond?”

“More than the fishes in the pond…”

“More than anything and as much as Papa?”

“More than anything and as much as Papa..."

Leaning on the door, catching Dani’s eye, Morwenna nodded, signalling all was ok, “So, I was thinking, since you’ve been away for so long, and so has Marc… What say we sack off school tomorrow? Come over to ours to watch Nemo and eat popcorn, have a family day tomorrow?”

“Erm,” Dani looked at Alex, both of them surprised by Morwenna’s suggestion, her a stickler for school attendance, before realising what that meant, nodding, “Yeah why not.”

“YEEEESSSSS! Can I go tell Eva? Can I? Can I? Please can I?” Imploring her Daddy, with occasional looks to her Papa (Alex the softer touch), Lucia clasped her hands together, as if in prayer, “Pleeeeeeeeease?”

Shaking his head, hitting the giggles, Alex nodded, “Yes, but you have to be quiet outside, it’s late, and put some shoes on!”

Laughing, Lucia running past her to get her shoes, choosing her wellies for quickness, Morwenna looked to the two men, both of them confused, “Pascal…”

“Fucking Pascal,” Dani muttered, his instinctive need to protect Lucia making him growl.

*

“Anyone else wish they’d just bloody find Nemo?” Padding into the kitchen, the two girls fast asleep on the pulled out sofa in the cinema room, Alex smiled, “So, is Dani actually going to kill Pascal?”

“Possibly,” Marc nodded, Morwenna and Dani chatting in the garden, she getting the job of calming him, “He was picking on Lucia about not having a Mama…”

“Little shit,” Alex grunted, rubbing his temples, Lucia having come home from school in tears on numerous occasions the previous year, “I thought he’d have learned when Eva thumped him.”

“Don’t remind Wen of that,” Marc chuckled, secretly proud of his daughter for standing up for her cousin, Eva the more robust of the two girls, utterly fearless since she could walk, “But me too.”

“You alright? You’ve got your ‘I’m plotting something’ look on your face…” Alex narrowed his eyes, before grinning, “Are you _actually_ going to do it?”

“Maybe…”

“What happened to your ‘Just because I love her, live with her and have a child with her doesn’t mean it’s forever’ stance?” Alex laughed, dodging the thump, gently teasing, but asking seriously, Marc and Morwenna’s relationship having been a rollercoaster at times, “What changed?”

“I did,” Shrugging, his words blunt and honest, Marc looked around the room, “I thought Morwenna was the one right now, you know, the one until I found the perfect one… I loved her, but I thought there would be something more…”

“And?”

“And I realised that I’m a dick…” Marc laughed, Alex’s look of surprise at his bluntness amusing him, “I have everything I ever wanted, and I kept jeopardising it by looking for more… I mean, a grid girl? How much of a fucking cliché could I be? **This** is what I want. My home, my daughter, my new baby, and Morwenna.”

“Well halle-fucking-llujah…” Shaking his head Alex laughed, “I actually thought you’d never get there.”

“You were right last year,” Tone serious for a second, Marc nodded slowly, “If she’d gone to Cornwall for good it’d have been my fault… The fact is she stayed for Lucia, she didn’t want to take Eva away from her… I almost fucked it up by looking for perfect and life isn’t perfect. It’s messy, and frayed around the edges, and good, and… Hey, how much danger is Pascal in?”

Morwenna winced, shaking her head, “I think I’ve persuaded Dani that actually murdering an eight-year-old isn’t on…”

“Oh bloody hell,” Alex grabbed a bowl of popcorn from next to the microwave, “Lounge for a more grown up film?”

“Yeah,” Morwenna smiled, looking at Marc, “Shall we sofa bed it, like when we ended up in that big hotel room that time at COTA?”

“Only until Dani starts to snore, then I’m going to bed…”

*

“Morwenna?”

Looking over the edge of the sofa, curled into Marc’s side, Morwenna peered at Dani through the dark, “Yeah?”

“Thank you for looking after Lucia for us.”

Shaking her head, Morwenna snuggled back into Marc, him dropping a soft kiss on her lips, “You are more than welcome."


	8. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stepping back in time to the early-ish stages of their relationship.

“Dani!” Dumping his bag in the hall, the trip to Geneva seeming never-ending, Alex called out, the worry in his tone echoing around, “Dani?”

Lifting his head, having dozed off on the sofa, laid on his side because everything else hurt, Dani smiled, “In here…”

“Hey. Are you ok? How is the foot? Did they check all of the pins were fine? I mean, I know you said you were ok, but are you ok ok? Do you need anything? Are you in pain?” Dropping down onto his knees in front of the sofa, Alex had worry and fear written all over his face, and in his tone, “Are you ok?”

Pushing himself up on one elbow, battered and bruised from a big crash in practise and in pain from completing the race regardless, Dani beckoned Alex with his finger, pulling him in for a soft kiss, the touch feather-light, “I’m alright.”

“Promise?” Alex bit on his lip, the first time in their relationship the worry had been this way around, the vision of Dani flying through the air making him physically vomit, several members of his crew thinking he’d contracted a sudden bout of food poisoning, “Promise promise?”

Cupping Alex’s face with his hand, Dani nodded, the affection and worry in Alex’s face making his heart swell, “I’m alright. Bit sore, well, a lot sore, but I’ll be fine. You ok? Fifth is really good…”

“I just wanted to finish the race and get home,” Alex blushed hard, biting his lip, “I mean, here, get here…”

“Home?” A smile pulling at the corner of his mouth, Dani bit on his lip, mirroring Alex, “I like the idea of home…”

“Me too…” Alex leant in, pressing their mouths together, his tongue flicking out, asking and getting entry to Dani’s mouth, finding Dani’s tongue to dance around, chasing the taste of coffee and mints, around, “Dani…”

“That’s the **major** downside to this injury…” Dani grunted, Alex’s hand sneaking under his top then stilling, “I have bruises _everywhere_ … I landed on my ass pretty hard… So I can’t, we can’t, it would hurt too much for you to…”

Resting their foreheads together, willing his cock to calm down, the disappointment at not being able to fuck Dani crushing, their time together so precious, Alex let his hand drift downward, chuckling at the growl as he palmed Dani through his joggers, “I guess we’ll have to find other things to do…”

“Alex…” On his side, everything aching, Dani almost blushed at the pitchy whimper that escaped him, Alex’s once nervous hand pushing into his trousers and wrapping around him confidently, “Oh fuck…”

“Well no…” Alex shook his head, cheeky smile on his face, using his free hand to push Dani’s trousers down, his breath catching at his first glimpse of the purple bruising covering Dani’s hip and arse, freeing his cock to the air, his fingers around him, stroking slowly, “But there are other ways…”

“ _Fuuuck!_ ” Grabbing onto the cushions as Alex dipped his head down, his tongue poking out to lavish attention on Dani’s tip, licking up the pre-cum, catching Dani’s eye, each watching the other as Alex hollowed his cheeks, sucking Dani into his mouth, a litany of curses filling the air as Alex pushed his limits, going deep enough to let Dani nudge at his throat, desperate to please Dani, to take his mind off of the pain, “ _Alex…_ ”

*

“I know it’s only soup, but…”

Shaking his head, Dani leaned up for a kiss, Alex’s care for him making his chest swell, their relationship going from strength to strength, moreso as Alex’s confidence built, finally accepting that Dani wanted him, “It’s perfect.”

“Want me to feed it to you,” Waggling his eyebrows Alex dodged the slap, with a chuckle, “I’m going to jump in the shower. Yell if you need anything.”

Blowing on his soup, Alex’s use of the microwave meaning it was nuclear hot, Dani grunted, “Thanks for that image…”

“You’re very welcome…”

*

Curled in bed, Dani on his side, Alex sighed softly, Dani’s mouth swallowing the sound, their kisses soft and languid, not leading but turning the younger man on regardless. Rolling their tongues together, Alex’s cock bobbed, brushing against the duvet, making him whimper, “ _Dani_ …”

“I know…” Reaching for Alex, fingers brushing over his cotton-covered hardness, Dani beamed at the pained wail, Alex needy and desperate, “I’ve got you.”

“Dani…” Catching Dani’s wrist, Alex blinked a few times to focus, blood buzzing around in him, Dani always setting all of his senses on fire, his voice dropping low, “I want you…”

“I know baby,” Dani’s faced crinkled in disappointment, their time together often so short that any interruptions made him angry at the world, “I want you too, but…”

“No,” Licking his lips, his cheeks pinking slightly, Alex’s voice was breathy, his balls tightening just at the words, “I want **you** …”

“Oh…” Trying to contain the fizz rippling through his body, Dani fought to keep himself in check, this something he’d always wanted, but never wanted to rush Alex into, “We don’t have too…”

“I know…” Curling into Dani’s side, his hips twitching almost imperceptively, his body craving that friction, Alex sounded almost hoarse, “The last time… When you… With your finger… It was… _Please_ …”

“It’ll hurt a bit,” Dani cautioned him, the memory of Alex clenching around his cheeky, wandering, finger making his hips twitch, Alex pressing harder against him making him growl, “Alex…”

“I want it… I want you…” Eyes locked on Dani, Alex licked his lips, a slight fluttering of nerves in his belly, mostly being over-ridden by the idea of Dani, Dani _having_ him, Dani pulling the reactions from him that normally he pulled from Dani, “ _Please…_ Fuck me…”

Growling softly Dani reached for Alex, tangling fingers in the younger man’s hair to tug him forward, crashing their mouths together, this time leading, Dani bossy, his tongue quickly chasing the taste of copper, his hand reaching to palm Alex through his boxers, his voice gravelly as he pulled away, “On your stomach…”

*

“Oh fuck…” Feeling exposed, bent over a pile of pillows in the middle of the bed, Dani’s fingers prying his cheeks apart, Alex whimpered, the coil of fear in his belly growing, “Dani…”

Dipping his head down, Dani licked a wide stripe down Alex’s crack, the lusty growl that fell as he crossed Alex’s hole reassuring him to go on, “I’ve got you…”

“Dani… Oh…” Dani’s tongue dancing around his hole, switching between licking thick stripes and flickering, teasing, over him, Alex felt his balls clench, any nerves gone, that reiterated with a howl as Dani licked downwards, lavishing his perineum with attention before licking back up, feeling like he was trying to lick his way inside Alex, making his toes curl, everything relaxing into Dani’s touch.

*

“Ok?”

Biting his lip, two of Dani’s fingers inside him not feeling like he expected, Alex swallowed hard, “Weird…”

“Pain?”

Shaking his head, Alex bit his lip, not understanding why Dani reacted to him the way he did, “No.”

“Ok…” Crooking his fingers, Dani smirked, the brush of his prostate making Alex mewl. Pouring more lube down his crack, Dani rocked his fingers in and out, aiming for his prostate each time, Alex’s head thumping down onto the pillow, cursing and begging for more, “Better?”

“Fuck, fuck yes please, more, please, _Dani_ , **_please_** ….”

*

“Dani…” Alex cried out, Dani’s fingers stroking his prostate, his tongue flicking around his rim, the sensations making his balls tighten, getting closer to the place he wanted to be, “Want you Dani, want you…”

“Ok… Ok baby…” Sliding his fingers out, swearing as he realised he didn’t have to reach for a condom, their relationship exclusive and tested, this a first for him, Dani reached for the lube, slicking his cock as he watched Alex’s hole twitch, “Sure?”

“Yes! Fuck yes!”

“Ssh…” One hand gripping Alex’s hip, the other guiding himself into the hot, tightness of Alex, Dani bit his lip hard, his head going hazy, the physical sensations mixing with the mental stimulation of having **this** with _Alex_ , “I’ve got you…”

Clenching his eyes shut, trying to breathe through the burn, Dani’s cock blunt, and big, and making his fingers scrabble against the sheet, Alex felt the taste of copper in his mouth again. Listening to Dani’s raspy words, soothing him, Alex let his muscles react, still not sure this was for him, only the sounds from Dani keeping his cock hard, until Dani moved, something exploding inside him, sending fiery tingles to his toes, his wail more of a scream, “ **Dani!** ”

*

“Oh please,” Alex sagged onto the mattress, Dani rocking into him hard, the sound of skin slapping skin echoing around the room, intermingled with gaspy breathing and occasional curses, Alex whimpered as Dani’s hand came around his hip, his fingers seeking and finding his cock, pumping him in time with his thrusts, everything in the room disappearing to him, except Dani, Dani’s touches on him, and in him, sending ripples through him, pushing him closer and closer until the scream was animalistic and he was there, spurting over Dani’s hand.

Seeing Alex tense, his lithe body glistening with sweat, Dani felt his cock pulse, Alex clamping around him as Dani emptied himself, leaning forward to kiss Alex’s spine, Alex’s name whispered rather than screamed, yet the need just the same.

*

“Baby? You ok?”

Looking up, wrapped around Dani, his eyes hooded and sleepy, Alex smiled, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Dani swallowed, the painful honesty in Alex’s face so tender, the trust placed in him meaning more than anything ever had, “I got you a key cut.”

“Hmm?”

“For here…” Dani nodded at Alex’s sleepy questioning frown, “A key for when you want to come home…”

Snuggling in tighter, his breathing slowing, Alex kissed Dani’s skin, “I like home.”

 


	9. Our Girl

“Can the three of you please not stand outside the door?” Her voice muffled by the closed door, Morwenna could picture the three of them, all shuffling from foot-to-foot as they waited, “It’s kind of off putting…”

*

“Morwenna?” Dani knocked softly on the door, “Are you ok?”

Opening the door, tears in her eyes, Morwenna shook her head, the white plastic stick in her hand feeling redundant, “I’m so sorry…”

“Hey…” Dani shook his head, pulling her into a hug, “You never, ever, need to apologise. Never.”

Stepping back, disappointment crushing in her chest, Morwenna sighed, “I don’t get it. We timed it right, I’m late and… Well my boobs are so tender Marc got slapped yesterday for an accidental nudge!”

“Oh did he now…” Dani chuckled, raising an eyebrow, Marc and Morwenna’s on-off, non-serious, non-exclusive relationship a constant source of frustration (and amusement) for him and Alex, “Maybe it’s too early?”

*

“Ok. It definitely hasn’t worked this time…” Morwenna put another white plastic stick down on the table, sadness written over her face, “I’m really sorry…”

“It was worth a try,” Arm around Dani, Alex smiled at the woman who was quickly becoming like a sister to him, “Thank you.”

“Next time we’ll try something different…”

“Next time?”

“Yeah,” Morwenna shook her head at Alex, smile on her face, “I’m not giving up on this after one first corner crash… Three attempts we said.”

*

“What the fuck are you doing?” Pausing in the doorway, breakfast on a tray in his hands, Marc frowned.

Morwenna laughed, feeling like a contortionist, “I’m trying to take my temperature…”

“Can’t you just put the thermometer under your tongue?” Putting the tray down, chuckling slightly, Marc smiled, proud of the way Morwenna was so determined to help Alex and Dani, “Erm, can I help?”

Going scarlet, their relationship on again for the past few weeks, Marc surprising her with his acceptance of the sex ban that was needed to make sure there was never any chance of him fathering a baby while she was off her contraceptives, Morwenna cringed, “The only help I need is… erm… taking the temperature…”

“Right…” Ignoring the awkwardness, Marc padded over to the side of the bed, taking the thermometer from Morwenna’s hand, grimacing slightly at the amount of lubricant she’d put on it, “You hold your knees up and I’ll… You know…”

Lying on her back, legs in the air, Morwenna couldn’t help giggling, amusement slightly tempered when Marc pushed the thin, but still intrusive, tip of the thermometer into her arse, “This is **so** not something I ever thought we’d be doing…”

“I do have a doctor and nurse fantasy,” Marc chuckled, taking the thermometer out when it beeped, handing it to Morwenna to note it down, “…but that’s not quite what I had in mind!”

*

Morwenna

| 

 

| 

It’s looking like that time…  
  
---|---|---  
  
Dani

| 

 

| 

Ok. You coming to stay with us?  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

Yeah, I’ll come up tomorrow if that’s ok.  
  
Dani

| 

 

| 

More than. You are sure you are ok doing this every day for a whole week?  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

As long as you and Alex are up to the job I’ll handle it ;)  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

And like I said before (and made Alex very red lol) if there’s more than one occasion a day then that’s fine too  
  
Dani

| 

 

| 

Thank you for this x  
  
*

Marc

| 

 

| 

Hey. How’s it going?  
  
---|---|---  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

It being inseminating myself with Dani and your brother’s sperm? Going as well as it can…  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Jajaja sorry. Should have thought the question through!  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

It’s ok. The weirdest bit is the orgasm  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Orgasm?  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

Yeah, it’s more likely to work if I have an orgasm, but it’s a bit awkward  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

I must have missed this part of the conversation… I thought you were alone when you… did the whatever you do…  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

I am.  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

OMG Marc!  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

It’s awkward because I know they are at home!!!  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Ah! Sorry…  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

You are a nightmare!  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

I’ll buy you dinner to make it up to you  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

I’m staying here another two nights.  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

That’s ok, I’m allowed in the house as long as I promise to behave ;)  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

Lol I know. See you later x  
  
*

“Hello?” Stepping into the hallway, having passed Dani and Alex in Dani’s car on the drive, Marc yelled up the stairs, “Morwenna?”

“Bit busy!”

“Oh,” Blushing as he shut the door, able to hear Morwenna’s soft moans filtering down the stairs, busying himself in the kitchen, wondering again about the oddness of the situation that they were all in.

*

“Marc…” Morwenna wriggled, Marc ending up staying over, carrying her up to bed when she fell asleep watching a movie, “Behave.”

Wrapping his hand around her waist, sliding down and slipping fingers into her knickers, Marc nibbled on her neck, “Good morning…”

“We can’t…” Shivering, Marc’s fingers confidently finding their target, circling around her clit, teasing, “Marc.”

“Ssh…” Nipping her neck, right where neck meets shoulder, the spot that made her whimper, Marc slid two fingers into her, his thumb resting on her clit, “We don’t have to have sex, but we can have some fun before I go racing…”

*

Morwenna

| 

 

| 

Stay safe!!! Good luck x  
  
---|---|---  
  
Dani

| 

 

| 

I will, thanks xx  
  
*

Morwenna

| 

 

| 

Stay safe!!! Good luck x  
  
---|---|---  
  
Alex

| 

 

| 

Thank you! x  
  
*

Morwenna

| 

 

| 

Stay safe!!! Good luck x  
  
---|---|---  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

It’s all skill ;-)  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

Well done you x  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Are you coming home from Dani’s house tomorrow? X  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

I’m not sure yet x  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

This baby thing is going to give me burst balls… X  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

It’s less than a week… x  
  
Marc

| 

 

| 

Mmm thanks for the reminder… Your face… Off to shower ;-)  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

Happy wanking!  
  
Morwenna

| 

 

| 

Make sure Jose-Luis doesn’t read this!!  
  
*

“Hi, sorry, got stuck in traffic,” Greeting all three with kisses to the cheek, Marc’s hand cheekily low on her back, Morwenna slipped into the seat next to the elder Marquez and picked up a menu, “What’s everyone having?”

“Sushi…” Alex smiled, he and Dani sharing a look at Marc’s hand staying firmly on Morwenna’s back, “We ordered your favourite…”

“Thank you. It was so busy!”

*

“Ladies first…”

Taking a few pieces from the platter onto her plate, Morwenna smiled at Marc, the small of her back feeling cold since he’d removed his hand, “Thank you.”

“Ladies first…” Ducking from the slap, Alex giggled, the others joining in as Marc flicked him the finger, “You ok Morwenna?”

Holding the piece of fish, before putting it back on her plate, Morwenna lifted her napkin to her mouth, her stomach lurching at the smell, “I… Excuse me…”

*

“Morwenna?” Knocking softly on the door, Marc frowned, “You ok in there?”

Opening the door, her face as white as a sheet, her stomach contents emptied, Morwenna bit her lip, “I think I need to go home.”

“Ok,” Marc nodded, his arm going around her waist, “I’ll take you.”

*

“Sorry…” Tucked into her bed, Marc having made her a cup of tea, Morwenna snuggled under the duvet, “I don’t want to pass on anything…”

Getting into bed next to her, stripped to his boxers, Marc pressed a kiss to her hair, “Go to sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

*

“How’s the patient…” Dani winced, the sound of Morwenna vomiting loudly reaching the hallway, “Shit… All night?”

Marc shook his head, wandering into the lounge, followed by Dani and his brother, all three of them concerned about their friend, “No, she was fine all night, and she seemed ok this morning. Now this…”

“Something she’s eaten?” Alex frowned, concerned about Morwenna, but also concerned about catching anything, “Urgh that sounds grim.”

*

“Hey,” Marc looked up, Alex and Dani sharing another look at the tenderness on his face, “Can I get you anything?”

Shaking her head, looking like death warmed up; her hair unbrushed, eyes red from being sick, wearing sleep shorts and a too-big HRC hoodie, Morwenna, pointed at Dani and Alex on the sofa, “This is your fault.”

“Mine?” Dani panicked, biting his lip, “Was it the sweets I brought back?”

Smiling, Morwenna shook her head again, taking a white plastic stick from her pocket, “It’s definitely down to one of you two…”

“Oh. My. God…” First to react, Alex jumped up from the sofa, Dani too dumbstruck to move, “Are you serious?”

Nodding, happy tears stinging her eyes, Morwenna held out the test for Alex to take, reaching into her pocket and lifting out four more when he took it, “Very serious…”

“Morwenna…” Grabbing her into a hug, his usual shyness disappearing in excitement, Alex turned to Dani; the older man still sat on the sofa, his mouth agape, “Look Dani…”

“I…” Rousing himself from his dream world, Dani walked over to the other two, his heart racing with excitement. Looking at the little collection of sticks, each carrying its bright blue cross, Dani looked up to Morwenna, tears filling his eyes as emotion overtook them all, “Thank you…”

*

“Hey, it’s just…” Stopping in the doorway, Alex shook his head, “I’m not laughing…”

“You better not be…” Morwenna glared, only half serious; sitting on the floor eating gherkins from the jar, the fan blasting toward her face to save her from overheating (the boys so cold they’d even resorted to wearing coats inside), “Can you text Dani and ask him to bring me another jar home please?”

“Another one?!” Alex stopped himself, nodding, “Sure.”

*

“Good morning,” Clipping into the room, smile on her face, the sonographer grinned at the quartet in front of her, the plush London clinic used to a myriad of set ups, “So, Morwenna, how are you feeling?”

“Good thanks,” Lifting her top, no real sign of a pregnancy belly yet, Marc teasing her constantly about her pie consumption, Morwenna winced at the coldness of the jelly being squeezed onto her skin, “That’s freezing!”

“That’s always the complaint,” Settling herself down on her stool, briefly wondering about the setup of the group, she clicked on a few buttons before pressing the doppler to Morwenna’s abdomen, “Ok, so I’ll do a few checks first of all and then if all is well, I’ll turn the screen around and let you see…”

*

“Would you consider being there?”

Lying in bed, Morwenna curled into his side, Marc looked down, confused, “Where?”

“At the birth?” Biting her lip, Marc always reserved on the issue, the one brutally honest conversation had the morning after Marc sneaked into her flat as far as she’d been able to draw him, Morwenna took a shaky breath, “This is absolutely Dani and Alex’s baby, but I think it’ll still be hard to hand him or her over…”

Running his free hand through his hair, the other wrapped around Morwenna, Marc chewed on his bottom lip, the idea of being there, seeing her go through that, never having entered his head, “I just assumed Dani would be there…”

“He will. And Alex,” Morwenna shrugged, “But they are going to be so excited… I just… I think I might need someone around for me.”

Nodding slowly, that understandable, Marc looked at Morwenna, her eyes locked on him, desperately trying to read him, “Ok, if you need me there then I’m there.”

“Really?”

Hating the surprise in her face, knowing their relationship bordered on the unhealthy at times, his adventures with other people more common since her pregnancy, Marc smiled, pressing a soft kiss to her mouth, “Of course.”

*

“She’s going to be on her own…” Tapping his foot impatiently, their taxi not having moved for twelve long minutes, Dani felt like weeping, “The one thing we promised her…”

Squeezing Dani’s knee, praying Morwenna’s contractions hadn’t got any closer together, Alex tried to comfort his husband, “We’ll get there on time.”

“I should have stayed…” Guilt chewing him up, the chance that Alex could wrap up the title having tempted him away from London, Dani shook his head, “I should never have left her.”

*

“You lot took your time…” Seeing Dani’s face, Morwenna shook her head, “Relax Pedrosa, there’s hours left yeeeet oooohh these contractions sting like a fucking bitch…”

"Classy..." Marc chuckled, Alex and Dani joining in once it was clear Morwenna wouldn't kill them.

*

“I spy with my little eye…” Looking around the room, Alex shrugged, time passing incredibly slowly, “I think we’ve run out of things to spy…”

“Thank fuck for that,” Marc shook his head, stretching out on one of the comfortable chairs, “Anyone hungry?”

Morwenna chuckled, shaking her head, “You do nothing, but eat Marquez! I think ooooooohhhhhh fuck…. Ow…”

*

“I know it’s uncomfortable…” The midwife smiled at Morwenna, that sensation weird, someone grinning at you while their fingers poked and prodded your nether regions in a non-sexual way downright bizarre, “Yep, you are fully dilated, I’ll go get the second midwife…”

*

“Pant Morwenna…” The bossier of the two midwives almost barking at Morwenna, that breaking through the pain barrier and penetrating her brain, “Good girl, that’s it…”

*

“Do we know what we are having?” Smiling fondly at Morwenna, the slight break in contractions badly needed, the midwife smiled at the shake of her head, “A surprise! How lovely, we don’t get nearly enough of them these days. Have you thought about any names?”

“I… Aaarrrghhhh…”

“Ok Morwenna, baby is crowning now, try not to push… Pant… Pant for us…” Blowing through her cheeks, the three men around the bed doing the same, Morwenna almost laughing at the sight and sound, the midwife nodded, “Well done, this bit will sting, just try not to push, just let your body do it naturally… Good… Well done….”

*

“Right, Morwenna, listen to me…”

“I can’t…”

“Yes you can,” The midwife gave Marc ‘the look’ sending him immediately to Morwenna’s side, “We need one more big push on the next contraction.”

“Come on you,” Marc squeezed Morwenna’s hand, hating seeing her in so much pain, not seeing anything magical in the process of birth, “You can do this.”

“It fucking hurts!”

“I can see,” Marc chuckled, unable to help himself, before composing himself, turning his voice serious, “Come on, we can do this. Is it coming? Yeah? Right, come on, push….”

*

“That’s it, stop pushing… Stop pushing now Morwenna,” Guiding the baby out, a loud cry filling the room, the midwife scooped the grime covered bundle into the towel, “Is someone cutting the cord?”

“Me…” Dani smiled, “I am.”

“Ok, here we go Mum…” Placing the baby on Morwenna’s chest, Marc and Morwenna staring down at the wriggly bundle, the midwife quickly clamped the cord once it had stopped pulsing. Handing Dani the scissors she smiled, “Anywhere here…”

“Thanks,” Cutting the cord, the situation overwhelming, him Dani let out a soft sob, “Oh…”

“Dani,” Morwenna looked up, tears streaming down her face, “Alex… Take the baby… Take your baby…”

“I can’t,” Dani shook his head, his hands trembling, “Alex…”

Lifting up the tiny bundle, torn between terror at the prospect of dropping them and heart-racing happiness, Alex bit on his lip, “Hello little one.”

“What is it?” Dani looked at Alex, suddenly realising they hadn’t checked, “Is it a boy or a girl?”

Moving the towel slightly, Alex let out a soft sob, “It’s a girl. She’s a girl… Hello Princess…”

*

“Are you sure?” Dani frowned, hovering next to Morwenna’s bed, his hand on the little crib containing his new daughter.

Morwenna nodded, the smile only half fake, “Go on. That’s why you’ve paid so much to be here…”

“Ok. We’ll be back later to visit though, yeah?”

“Yeah…” Kissing Dani, then Alex, on the cheek Morwenna kept the smile on her face as Dani and Alex wheeled the crib out of the room, the pair of them sharing excited looks at each other as they headed for their family room next door. Turning to Marc, her bottom lip wobbling, emotion catching up with her, handing over the baby the most surreal experience of her life, “Can I have a hug?”

“Sure,” Clambering onto the bed, all the linens changed since the birth, Marc closed his eyes, Morwenna’s soft sobs stabbing him in the chest, “It’s ok, you’re ok, let it all out.”

*

“We could just not look…” Holding the envelope, Alex looked at Dani, “It doesn’t really matter which of us goes down on the birth certificate really… I mean, we originally said we’d just put you on the birth certificate no matter what… It makes sense. I’m still racing so… You know… More chance of…”

Dani shook his head, both of them realising that they did want to be the one, Dani desperately not wanting to think about the possibility of anything happening to Alex, “No. We need to know because one day she needs to know. In the future medical history and stuff might be important…”

“We open it, look and then destroy it. No-one else needs to know, right?”

“Right.”

“Right…” Tearing open the envelope, Alex unfolded the letter, the test results writing in plain detail in front of them, “So there it is…”

“Yeah… Bin it now.”

“Ok,” Tearing up the paper into tiny pieces, Alex split them into the two bins in the room, smiling as he turned in time to see Dani scooping their daughter from the little crib, “I’ll never tire of seeing that.”

*

“Come to Andorra…”

Turning to Marc, her bag packed and sitting on her bed, Morwenna frowned, “Why?”

“Because you need someone to look after you for a little bit…”

Smiling, six days of hotel style service in the hospital, one counselling session and a lengthy meeting with the registrar and lawyer settling her mind, Morwenna pulled on her jacket, the five of them heading for Spain now that the baby’s British passport, the one thing Morwenna could give her, “I’m ok.”

“I know you are,” Crossing the room, Marc slid his hands around her waist, his smile slightly tempered by something else, “I’m so proud of you… What you’ve done for them… It’s _amazing_ , and I want to spoil you for a little bit.”

Sinking into Marc’s hug, Morwenna tucked her head under his chin, the Spaniard not having left her for longer than a shower since the birth, her nerves getting the better of her, “I’m scared of getting used to having you all around too much.”

“Don’t be scared of that,” Pressing a kiss to her head, Marc’s voice was soft, honesty feeling important, “We’re a family, and you are part of that. We’re not going to abandon you. I’m not going to abandon you…”

Looking up, her eyes locked onto Marc’s, Morwenna swallowed hard, Marc’s dark eyes almost consuming her, “Marc, I…”

“Sssh…” Pressing his mouth to hers, the kiss terrifyingly intimate as it was leading nowhere, his tongue swiping gently into her mouth, dancing with hers for a while, before pressing their foreheads together, eyes still closed, “I love you… I know sometimes I… But… I do love you. So come home with me, let me look after you.”

*

@alexmarquezp73

| 

 

| 

_Img.pic_ Once again I’m the happiest man in the world. @danip-m and I have been blessed by our beautiful daughter Lucia Pedrosa-Marquez #thankyou  
  
---|---|---  
  
*

@danip-m26

| 

 

| 

_Img.pic_ Lucia Pedrosa-Marquez. Our girl. Our family. Our everything.  
  
---|---|---  
  
*

@marcmarqez93

| 

 

| 

_Img.pic_ The most beautiful, and loved, niece in the world!!! #prouduncle  
  
---|---|---  
  
*

@morwennap

| 

 

| 

_Img.pic_ Delighted for @danip-m26  & @alexmarquezp73. I know that Lucia is the luckiest little girl in the world – because she has you two xx  
  
---|---|---  
  
@danip-m26

| 

 

| 

Thank you. For everything xx  
  
@alexmarquezp73

| 

 

| 

She is the luckiest girl in the world. She has us, and she has the best aunty & godmother too xx  
  
*

“Do you think we should sleep in shifts?” Frowning at Alex’s amused giggle, Dani scowled, “Well, something could happen. She could…”

“She could?” Alex pulled Dani down, the older man hovering over the edge of the bed, fussing around Lucia’s crib, “She’s not going anywhere. She’s warm enough, but not too hot. She’s fed, and changed… Let’s sleep while we can.”

“I suppose,” Curling into Alex’s side, Dani shook his head, “I can’t believe we’re here. In our house. Married. And with our daughter…”

“I know,” Alex smiled, kissing Dani’s forehead, “You know what I realised on the plane home?”

“What?”

“If you hadn’t gone to Cornwall we wouldn’t have her…” Alex pulled the duvet up, cocooning them both, “Amazing how something so… special… has come out of such a tough time.”

“Never thought of it like that,” Dani looked up, the guilt sometimes still there, “I love you.”

“I know,” Alex chuckled, “I love you too.”

“And,” Rolling over, unable to resist checking on her again, Dani leant down and pressed the gentlest kiss Lucia’s tiny forehead, “I love you too.”

 

 

 


	10. Teenagers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like this one!

“Not riding today?” Morwenna smiled from her perch next to the stove, too happy to be hosting and feeding the entire family under one roof to be bothered by the stereotype of her cooking whilst the men raced around the backyard track on bikes, “Penny for them?”

Shrugging her shoulders, the teenage girl took up a spot on a stool, smiling none too convincingly, “Can’t be bothered today. Do you need some help?”

“Sure,” Morwenna smiled, her suspicions raised, offers to help few and far between when they were all together, partly because they all knew she loved looking after them and partly because they were, well, men and teenagers, “You can peel the potatoes if you like…”

Reaching for the peeler, not an ounce of protest on her face, she reached for one of the potatoes in the bag, “Sure.”

*

“Where is the missing birthday girl?”

Nodding her head toward the kitchen, Morwenna sighed, Dani instantly frowning in concern, “Peeling potatoes…”

“Peeling potatoes?” Dani frowned, the biggest sign of Morwenna’s concern shown in the fact that he still had his muddy clothing on (although his muddy boots had been ditched in the hallway), “What did she do?”

Running a hand through her hair, worry genuine, Morwenna shrugged, “She offered.”

*

“Hey…” Standing in the hallway, face-to-face with the other teenage girl, she smiled as kindly as she could, “I’m sorry we rowed earlier, I just think…”

Scowling, the sheer terror running through her making her snappy and spiteful, the other girl couldn’t hold back the sarcasm, “You made it very plain what you think…”

“I’m worried about you. I’m _really_ worried about you.”

“I don’t need your worry. I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine. You are pregnant and you…”

Hissing, backing the other against the wall, she looked around with panic in her eyes, “ **Shut up!** ”

“Please,” Biting her lip, tears stinging her eyes at the fear disguised as hatred in the other’s face, she was ashamed of begging, “Please just tell someone. You need doctors and check-ups and…”

“Check-ups for what?” Standing on the stairs, arms leaning on the bannister, Morwenna eyed the two girls with suspicion, “Have you been riding injured again?”

“No, she…”

“Yes,” Interrupting, shooting the other a warning look, she shrugged, pretending to feel guilty, partly wanting to scream out the truth, “It’s not bad. Just a twist…”

“Since it is your birthdays I’ll let it go tonight,” Morwenna shook her head, wagging a finger, “But you see a doctor on Monday, understood?”

“Yeah,” Nodding, she waited until Morwenna was out of sight, before turning to the other in panic, her brown eyes wide, “Great! What am I supposed to do now?!”

*

“Happy birthday to you… Happy birthday to you… Happy birthday dear LuciaandEvaaaaaa…. Happy birthday to you! Make a wish!”

Blowing out the candles, the cake held by Alex hosting seventeen candles and the one by Marc holding fifteen, the two girls made their wishes; one wishing her best friend would confide in someone before she had to betray her trust completely and the other wishing the thing growing inside her wasn’t.

“What did you wish for?” Holding the knife, desperate for a piece of cake, wishing not for the first time that he also shared their birthday, Xavi, Marc and Morwenna’s nine-year-old son, “Tell meeeeee….”

Rolling her eyes, their relationship closer than she’d ever publicly admit, Eva poked her tongue out, “Can’t tell you Squirt, if you tell then it won’t come true!”

*

“Lucia!” Calling back her niece, the elder of the two girls just about to leave the kitchen, Morwenna put the glasses into the dishwasher, “There’s nothing you need, or want, to talk to me about is there? You know you always can…”

Lucia nodded, not quite sincerely, smiling at her favourite Aunt, Eric’s wife Sofia being lovely in no way topping her bond with Morwenna, “I know. There’s not.”

“Ok,” Not quite believing her, Morwenna smiled, “You know where I am if you change your mind.”

“I know, thank you.”

*

“I feel old…” Sitting on the wall, the low brick structure dividing the front area of their houses, their parents’ ensconced in a smaller property a little along the private lane, Marc sighed, beer in hand, “Are we old?”

Alex took a swig of beer, sighing hard, before turning to Marc, “We’re not as old as Dani…”

“Good point,” Marc nodded, drinking again, “Seventeen and fifteen… Fucking hell.”

Laughing, his brother getting more melancholic the closer he got to fifty, Alex nudged Marc’s shoulder, “At least you have Xavier. He’s only nine…”

“Oh yes,” Marc groaned, sarcasm heavy in the air, “He’s keeping me young with his broken arm, dislocated shoulder and broken fingers… I wish I’d never let him on a bike. He’s a _nightmare_ …”

Cackling, louder and more evil than his brother ever could, Alex grinned, “You know what Mama says…”

*

“One moment please…”

Eva sighed, turning to her mother, “I didn’t mean to hit him!”

“It’s not about your brother… Although, you do need to remember he is only nine,” Morwenna chuckled, the age difference showing between the kids massively, “You and Lucia seemed a bit heated earlier.”

“It was nothing.”

“Eva…”

“Mama…”

Barrelling through the door, Xavi clattered into the kitchen, “Mama! Scruff got out! He’s heading for the fence!”

“Oh bloody hell!” Morwenna put down the plate she was scraping, glancing at Eva as he rushed out of the kitchen, “If you need to talk…”

“I will, but I don’t. I’ll go get Papa,” Eva scurried out of the other door, her voice at full pitch, “PAPA THE DOG HAS ESCAPED AGAIN!”

*

Lucia

| 

 

| 

Hi. Can I please come and stay with you for a few days? X  
  
---|---|---  
  
Aunt Wen

| 

 

| 

Of course you can. Something going on? X  
  
Lucia

| 

 

| 

Dad is doing my head in. X  
  
Aunt Wen

| 

 

| 

You were three hours’ late home sweetheart; they were worried about you. X  
  
Lucia

| 

 

| 

I explained that! I had no signal!!!!! It’s not my fault we live up a fucking mountain and the signal is shit!  
  
Lucia

| 

 

| 

Sorry. I shouldn’t swear at you. X  
  
Aunt Wen

| 

 

| 

Did you swear at your Dad? X  
  
Lucia

| 

 

| 

Yeah. X  
  
Aunt Wen

| 

 

| 

Ok. Apologise to your Dad, then if you still want to come and stay your room is waiting. X  
  
Lucia

| 

 

| 

I was going to wait until morning. X  
  
Aunt Wen

| 

 

| 

At least speak to your Papa. X  
  
Lucia

| 

 

| 

Ok. I will. X  
  
 *

“You been kicked out again…” Marc ruffled his niece’s hair, the teenager bristling, her bright red hairdo her rebellious pride and joy, “What did you do this time? Start world war three? Steal your Dad’s bike? Eat the last chocolate biscuit?”

Lucia rolled her eyes, that look identical to Eva’s, “I took up pole dancing and ran away with Cris Espargaro…”

“Not even in jest,” Wagging his finger, Marc shook his head, grimacing at the mere thought, Pol's son even more irritating than Pol, “Not even in jest darling niece…”

Grinning, Lucia chuckled, “Can I have a can of coke please?”

“Hmm, let me think…” Marc frowned, mock pondering for a few seconds, “No, I can’t think of any days where I have let my niece dehydrate before, so I have no idea why I should start now…”

“You should be a comedian…” Moving to the fridge, Lucia opened the door and grabbed a can, “Want one?”

“No thanks,” Marc folded his arms, “So, you gonna tell me?”

“You already know. You _always_ know…”

“I do, and you know that you can always tell me anything.”

“I don’t believe you!” Making the other two jump, Eva shook her head, look of betrayal on her face, “How could you?!”

“I didn’t…” Lucia shook her head, frantically thinking, before laughing, “Look, it’s just a detention…”

“Sit…” Marc pointed to Eva, then to a stool, before turning to Lucia, “And you… Morwenna!”

*

“We can sit here all night if need be…” Marc folded his arms, the four of them sat around the breakfast bar, both girls in tears, the silent conversation between the two girls leaving them both sobbing, “There is nothing that can’t be fixed…”

Putting her head down on the marble top, Eva’s shoulders shook, “I…”

“I’m sorry, this is all my fault,” Putting her arm around her cousin, Lucia snuggled her in close, “What should I do?”

“What did you do?” Marc reached over to pat Lucia’s hand, keeping the disappointment that his niece had revered to her wild-child ways again, “Do you want me to get your Dad and Papa?”

“No.”

“They won’t be cross… I mean, they might for a while, but whatever it is, we can deal with it as a family… Like we always do…”

Sobbing harder Eva shook her head, “Stop it.”

“Maybe you should go upstairs Eva,” Marc shared a look with Morwenna, frowning when his wife shook her head, “Wen?”

“Eva, look at me…” Morwenna waited until her daughter had lifted her head up, tears streaming down the younger cousins face, “Is there something you want to talk about baby?”

Chewing on her lip, Eva looked to Lucia, the elder girl squeezing her hand, “I’m so sorry.”

“Have you got detention?” Marc shook his head, almost laughing, “Ev…”

“Shut up Marc,” Not looking at her husband, his eyes widening, first through annoyance at her tone, then in worry, Morwenna put her hand on top of Eva and Lucia’s, “Your Dad was right in what he said to Luc, whatever it is we will get through it together as a family…”

Stifling her sobs, the weight of worry on her shoulders crushing her, Eva wiped her eyes with her free hand, “Remember when I went ice skating with my friends?”

“I remember…” Silencing Marc with a look, him realising that this was serious, and not about Lucia, Morwenna nodded, “You didn’t go skating?”

“I did…” Eva closed her eyes, the day one of her favourite memories, the five of them having laughed and joked all day, then the text that changed arriving, “But… But… I… I didn’t stay with Emilia at her house.”

“Ok…”

“While we were oout Rafe got a text from his Dad to say he wasn’t going to be home…”

“Right…” Sharing an ‘oh shit’ look with Lucia, Morwenna closed her eyes, all the pieces starting to fall together; no riding, reduced appetite, change in clothing style, “Oh Eva… Sweetheart...”

“I’m sorry Mama,” Breaking into inconsolable tears, Eva practically flung herself in her mother’s arms, Marc still several steps behind, looking confused as Eva and Morwenna slumped down onto the floor together, Eva howling as Morwenna tried to console her, “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what went wrong…”

*

“Pregnant?”

“Yes.”

“Eva?”

“Yes.”

“Our Eva?”

“Yes.”

“Eva, _my fifteen-year-old daughter_ Eva?”

“Yes, Uncle Marc. Your daughter Eva.”

“I’ll kill him.”

“Uncle Marc.”

“I’ll fucking kill him!”

“Marc Marquez don’t you dare leave this house!”

“I’ll kill him.”

“No, you won’t.”

“Yes I will.”

“You will not. You will go into the kitchen and you will tell your daughter that you love her.”

“But.”

“But nothing. Get in that kitchen.”

“How long have you known?”

“Not long.”

“And you didn’t say anything?! How irresponsible… Did you just tell me to _shut up_?”

“Yes,” Lucia nodded, suddenly feeling about twelve when she’d felt like the adult for the last twenty minutes as Eva’s confession made her house implode, Marc being kicked out of the kitchen by Morwenna for his shouty reaction, “You need to get in there and look after Eva. I’ll go get Squirt and take him to our house for the night.”

“Right. Ok,” Nodding, Marc shook his head, his brain spinning, “Right.”

“Good,” Lucia smiled as Marc turned back to the kitchen, “Squirt! Can you come down please kiddo?”

“Lucia…” Marc put his hand on the door handle, wagging a finger at his niece, “You get away with telling me to shut up once…”

Lucia laughed, Xavi appearing on the stairs in his pyjamas, bleary eyed and instantly worried about the crying coming from the kitchen, “Fancy escaping Eva’s mayhem and coming to ours for the night.”

“Can we have popcorn?”

“We can.”

“Cool,” Grabbing his wellies, Xavi pulled his jacket from the peg, “I’mgoingnextdoorbye… Come onnnnn Luc!”

*

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

Sitting on the cold, hard plastic seats, Morwenna and Rafe in the delivery suite with Eva, Marc sighed, looking at the other man, the past months having passed with endless rows between the families, “Morwenna said I have to end this feud we have…”

“Rafe’s mother said the same thing.”

Running his hands through his hair, Marc leant back on his chair, letting out a slow puff of breath, “I shouldn’t have said the things that I said about Rafe.”

“No,” The other man nodded, tilting his head in acceptance, the worry about certain things suddenly feeling trivial as the baby's arrival was so close, “But I definitely shouldn’t have said the things I said about Eva.”

“I shouldn’t have punched you.”

“If someone had called Maia those names I’d have fucking killed them... I can't believe we are sitting here like this...”

“Me neither. Bloody kids,” Marc chuckled, shaking his head, “You think they’ll make it work?”

“Dunno… They’ll have a damn good go at it though…”

“Yeah. They’ve a lot of people around them too…”

“Exactly.”

“They’ll be alright. Right?”

“Yeah. You think?”

“Hey…” Poking her head out the door, Morwenna grinned, “You two too busy gossiping or do you want to come in?”

*

“Wow…”

“So tiny…”

“Oh dear,” Laughing as the tiny tot in the incubator, just needing a wee bit of help on account of being so small, let out a disgruntled cry, Marc put his hand through the gap, “Hey little guy…”

“Jago… Jago Lorenzo Marquez…” Jorge nodded, smiling, “I like it.”

“Me too,” Stepping aside to let his former rival have a closer look at their grandson, Marc giggled, “I still think he should have been called Treaty…”


	11. Kind and Supportive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's nearly done...

Sitting on a bench in the cold cemetery Marc sniffed back a tear, unable to imagine ever laughing again as he watched the groundsmen start to shovel the soil back into the earth. Bristling as someone sat next to him, his voice crackly and hoarse, he shook his head, “I’d rather be alone.”

“Well, Mama told me not to let you sit brooding alone so…”

Turning to his daughter with a sigh, Marc shook his head, the words harsher than intended, “You never could do as you were told Eva.”

“I learned from you…” Eva cut off Marc’s protestations with a shake of her head, Marc silencing himself when he glanced at her tearstained face, “You raced with broken fingers, broken ribs, dislocated shoulders… And that’s just the ones Mama knew about.”

Nodding, tears filling his eyes again, Marc sniffed, “I wasted so much time. So many arguments. So many times I walked out after a row… God, that’s even one of your first memories…”

“Papa,” Eva scolded him gently, her smaller hand finding his bigger hand and lacing their fingers together, “Do you want to know what came straight to my head when people were talking about memories of you and Mama?”

Shaking his head, memories of Morwenna still too painful, Marc closed his eyes, “I don’t think…”

“I remember the three of us sitting on the floor when you found out I was pregnant…” Eva bit her lip, wondering for a moment how she’d cope the first time she had too without her mother’s suppose, “We sat there for hours… Mama made hot chocolate and we even drank that on the floor. You carried me up to bed because I fell asleep, like I was five again…”

Squeezing Eva’s hand Marc smiled through the sadness, “She was so proud of you, you know that, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Eva nodded, her eyes filling with tears, her father’s sadness mirrored on her similar face, “I was very lucky with you two. Lots of other people would have disowned their daughter. Or forced her into decisions she didn’t want to make…”

Remembering his hissy fit when Eva announced her intention to work in Jorge’s museum rather than go to university Marc sighed, “I tried…”

“Not seriously you didn’t…” Eva rested her head on Marc’s shoulder, “And you didn’t want me to go to university because of the shame if I wouldn’t or anything like that… You wanted me to go to university because you wanted the best for me. Not many people would have helped me the way you did, the way you and Mama did…”

Scoffing, Marc freed his hand from Eva’s to wrap his arm around her shoulders, “You were our little girl, what we did was what anyone should do.”

“You built me an apartment in your garden,” Eva chuckled, her head dropping as she noticed the cemetery staff working, stifling a sob, “I loved what you said about Mama…”

*

His hands shaking, Marc looked up, the room full of people, all of the faces familiar, but that not easing his nerves any, “I want to start off today by thanking everyone for being here. I feel that my wife would tell me off for being rude if I didn’t…”

 “She was very well mannered and hospitable, and she made it her mission in life to make sure I, and our family, always remembered our manners,” Marc smiled, tears stinging his eyes, “That was Morwenna, my Morwenna, always keeping me in check with her zero tolerance to bullshit approach, and her _absolutely_ unconditional love…”

“I met Morwenna many, many years ago, and the circumstances were slightly unusual,” Sharing a smile with Alex and Dani, Marc went on, “We hit it off instantly, even though we spent a long time, too long, dancing around it and pretending that we weren’t interested, or we weren’t serious, or we weren’t something else that made Alex and Dani laugh at us…”

“Eventually I got my head screwed on before Morwenna actually killed me, although not before several plates and bowls had been thrown at me by her,” Marc shook his head, remembering the flip-flopping emotions Morwenna had been through, and put him through in her pregnancies, “Someone asked me a few days ago to describe Morwenna in one word, and the word I chose was kind. Now, the person that asked me was obviously surprised by the choice of word because there are bigger words out there, fancier words, but Morwenna was kind…”

“Morwenna…” Stumbling slightly, Marc shuffled his speech papers, giving himself a moment to swallow down the lump in his throat, “Morwenna first met me because she was kind. She was kind and she wanted to help her friend. She was kind when she looked after me when I broke my leg. She was kind when my grandfather was dying and she made my parents food so they could visit him without worrying about cooking. She was kind when she helped bring my beautiful niece, Lucia, into the world for Alex and Dani. She was kind when she taught me how to feed Eva her bottles at 3am, although that was also kind to herself…”

“She was kind when she spent hours taxiing Xavier to race tracks all around Spain. She was kind when she looked after Jago so that Eva could go to work, or have a night off when he was teething…. I could go on all day; I have examples from everyone about how kind she was. She was loving, and smart, and funny, and organised, and she was kind. She was kind, and I miss her terribly. I have been very guilty over the years of not telling her how much I loved her, but she told me last week, when we knew that the end was near, that she knew. She knew that she was everything to me. That I loved her from the bottom of my heart. She was the best wife a man could ask for, she found time in the crazy world we lived in to be an amazing mother and a doting grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was kind and I feel lost without her.”

*

**MORWENNA PRIMROSE MARQUEZ**  
  
---  
  
Marc Marquez is devastated to announce the peaceful passing of his darling wife Morwenna at home in Andorra, on May 21st 2065, aged 80 years.  
  
Morwenna was the beloved only daughter of the late Tristian and Anna Primrose, of Lamorna, Cornwall, England.  
  
She was a devoted Mama to Eva and Xavi. Doting Nana to Jago, Seren, Rosalie and Christian, and she was adored by her great-granddaughter Emma. She was a very special Aunt to Lucia.  
  
She will be sadly missed by her “merry band of in-laws”; Alex, Dani, Leo, Anya and Aurelia, as well as her many friends.  
  
Funeral for family and close friends will be on May 25th at 3pm. Family flowers only please.  
  
 

*

“How’s it going?” Sitting down next to her son, both of them in the back garden of Marc’s home, Eva smiled fondly at the caring arm that wrapped around her back, “Your grandfather wouldn’t want you to stress about this…”

Jago nodded, smiling despite the sadness in his heart, “I know he wouldn’t. I just want to get it right, make it something he could be proud of.”

“Oh son,” Eva chuckled lightly, “He was more proud of you, and your siblings and your cousin, than he was of anything else in his life… You don’t need to do anything special tomorrow to make him proud, he always was.”

Sighing hard, having spent so many years living, with Eva, in Marc and Morwenna’s house Jago had been particularly close to his grandparents, especially Marc, “Do you think he minded about the bike thing?”

“Of course not,” Emma laughed softly, remembering the way her father, and Jorge’s, head almost exploded when Jago declined the chance to ride a bike for the first time, “He was surprised, but he was proud of you for carving your own path in life.”

“You know they call me the best rider to have never competed…” Jago looked out at the horizon, the autumn sun setting in the distance, his voice wistful, “I watched some races last night, maybe…”

“Do not do this,” Voice firm, Eva waited until her son looked at her, “Your grandfather, in fact **both** of your grandfathers, were the proudest men in the country at your graduation. They decided when they were very, very young what they wanted to do when they grew up, and that’s what you did. You decided and you went for it and they were very proud of you for that.”

“It might have been easier for Uncle Xavi if I’d raced too.”

“Do you think he’d have wanted that?” Eva shook her head, slight hint of scolding in her tone, “You wanted to be a dentist. You wanted to marry and have a family. You are a dentist, you have a beautiful wife and you have two wonderful children; children that my father absolutely adored seeing every day when you popped in…. Jago, you didn’t have the best start in life, the money that my father had meant you got a good nanny and a good school, and you and I didn’t scrimp and save like other people in our position, but you still had a kid for a mother.”

“You’re a great mother.”

“I was the best mother I could be,” Shrugging her shoulders, silencing any protests, Eva’s words were brutally honest, “I’m a better mother to Rosalie and Christian because you got all of my mistakes… I was sixteen when you were born, and as much as my parents helped I made mistakes. You lived with those mistakes, and you lived with the media interest in you because of who I was and who your father was. You also lived with us not being grown up enough to realise we were not meant to be for too long…”

“You did your best, you and Papa…”

“We did, but that best wasn’t great,” Shaking her head, fighting back the tears, her sadness that Jago missed out on some things because she didn’t have the maturity she had now, or the support of her husband Leo, when he was a child, only outweighed by the pride in him, “And despite all of that you were still brave enough to choose your own path and follow it. For those reasons my Papa was the proudest man in the world because of you. So you just do your best and that will be more than enough.”

*

“For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Jago and I’m the eldest of Marc’s four grandchildren,” Looking up, the room full to bursting, Jago smiled, “I would like to thank you all on behalf of my mother Eva, my Uncle Xavi, my cousin Seren, my siblings Rosalie and Christian and myself for your attendance here today; and also for the countless messages we have had. I’d especially like to thank those of you who are outside, listening to this on the speakers on such a cold morning. My grandfather was always incredibly grateful for the support he received and we found it very touching today driving through the waving flags in the cars on the way here.”

Jago paused for a second, before laughing softly, “I’m sure if he could he’d have sent a text to my other grandfather Jorge, challenging him to have as many people waving flags as **his** funeral…

My grandfather wasn’t a typical grandfather; in fact, he wasn’t a typical man. I was talking to Seren yesterday and we were reminiscing about going back to school after the holidays and catching up with our friends… So many of them would tell stories about their grandparents taking them for walks, or having a dinner together of a Sunday and some would have complaints of being utterly bored in houses where they were expected to play quietly. We never had that; when we spent holidays, or weekends, with our grandfather we went back to school for a rest! And for some quiet! Everyone we hear or see online talking about my grandfather talks so fondly about his laugh, but we used to hate it…. After four or five weeks of holidays that laugh got **annoying**! Especially if we went, as we so often did, with my Uncle Alex as well, because that meant that not only did my grandfather, my mother and my Uncle Xavi have what we called _“the laugh”_ but Uncle Alex and Lucia also did. When I was nine I got lost in a waterpark on holiday… I found my way back to my family by that laugh… It was like a Marquez locator beacon!”

Shuffling his papers, the memory hitting him in the chest like a truck, Jago took a moment to compose himself, before going on, “Something not a lot of people knew was that my grandfather was the most supportive man in the world. That’s something _everyone_ has said about him this week. My mother talks often about how supportive he was when I was a child, the way he built an extension for us, the way he helped and guided, but never imposed, on her what she should do. When my Uncle Xavi was injured during a race my grandfather was by his side, with a plan for his rehab and recovery, when he came too after his operation. When my sister wanted to be a model and everyone said she was too short it was my grandfather who supported her, who took her to castings and who was the first to say _‘I told you so´_ to the haters when she made it. When my brother Christian decided to be a footballer rather than a racer it was my grandfather who took him to training every Wednesday, come rain, hail or shine; and when my cousin Seren decided she did want to be a racer it was my grandfather who was there, by her side, making sure that, in his words, _‘the fact she doesn’t have a penis doesn’t get in the way_ ’… When I, aged six, announced that I didn’t want to ride because, in that _brutally_ honest way only a six-year-old can be, I thought that racing was just bikes going in circles all day long, and what was the point of that… It was my grandfather who said, _‘Well, what you **you** like to do?’_ and it was him who clapped and cheered the loudest at my graduation… … He was the most supportive father, grandfather, uncle, brother and friend you could ever wish to have.

People will always have their own opinions of who Marc Marquez Alenta was, and that was mine.”

*

**MARC MARQUEZ ALENTA**  
  
---  
  
Eva and Xavi are saddened to announce the peaceful passing of their father, at home, on May 21st 2068, aged 75 years.  
  
The ten-time champion was a wonderful father to Eva and Xavi, a much loved brother of Alex and Dani, a doting grandfather to Jago, Seren, Rosalie and Christian, an adored uncle to Lucia and a beloved great-grandfather to Emma and Marcus.  
  
Marc’s funeral will take place on Thursday at 10am. All welcome. Family flowers only please, donations if desired may go to Riders For Health.  
  
 

 


	12. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This fic reawakened my love for writing. I started writing it in a very special place. I'll miss it, and I'm very grateful that you've allowed and supported me in using this one as an emotional crutch over the last few months.
> 
> Thank you, and I hope the ending is fitting.

_ 17th October 2057 – Alex & Dani’s house, Andorra _

“Dani?” Chucking his keys down on the table, Alex set down the wriggling toddler he was carrying, pulling the 2-year-old’s hat off, making the youngster laugh, “So where do we think your grandfather has gone? Dani?”

“DANI!”

“Oh Sofia,” Alex chuckled, waggling his finger, before scooping up the tot back up, her laugh echoing through the house, “He will not answer to you calling him that young lady! Dani!”

“DAAAAANNNIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!”

“Dani?” Putting Sofia down, their adored granddaughter heading straight for the box of toys in the corner, Alex frowned, Dani’s mobile, keys and wallet sitting on the table suggesting the older man should be home, but the house eerily quiet, “Dani?”

“Darden!”

“Not now Sof…” Faltering, the youngster spotting an open door and shooting for it, Alex laughed, heading for the open door, “Hey, you not hear me shouting? Dani?”

Frowning in confusion at the empty garden Sofia looked up at Alex, “Ere is buelo?”

“I don’t know,” Something not sitting right in his stomach, Alex bent down to scoop Sofia up, “I really don’t know.”

*

“Alex?”

“In here.”

“You ok?” Morwenna smiled as she wandered into the Pedrosa-Marquez kitchen, Alex’s text giving no detail, “Marc is on his way back from Barcelona.”

“I can’t find Dani,” Sofia safely ensconced in the lounge, all doors now shut, Alex ran his fingers through his hair, worry showing clearly on his face, “His phone, keys, wallet, car… everything is here, but he is not…”

“He’s probably just gone down to the shop…”

“He hasn’t…” Alex sat at the table, almost in tears, “I’ve been down to the shops with Sof, **twice** … There is nowhere in walking distance that he can be… I think he’s left me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Morwenna laughed softly, before checking herself, Alex’s face ashen, “Seriously? You think forty years after he came home he has decided to leave again?”

“He’s been acting really weird recently…” Alex chewed on his lip, his stomach lurching back and forth, its contents threatening to spill onto the table, “He comes home late, he’s evasive about where he has been when he gets back, he doesn’t answer his phone… And there’s that day when he ignored Eva…”

“I don’t think…” Morwenna sighed, Eva’s insistence that Dani had completely ignored her in a shopping centre making her think twice, making her wonder for a second, before she shook her head, “No way. Dani adores you, he always has. He wouldn’t leave you.”

“So where the fuck is he then?”

*

_ 17th October 2057 – Accident & Emergency Department, Andorra _

“Dani Pedrosa-Marquez…” Almost barking at the woman behind the reception, Alex looked around frantically, “I got a call.”

“Hi, sorry, he’s worried,” Morwenna smiled at the receptionist, “We got a phone call from the police to say that his husband, Daniel Pedrosa-Marquez, had been involved in an accident and had been brought here, could you tell us where he is please?”

Tapping on her keyboard the barely interested woman didn’t look up, “Room 706. Through the double doors, turn right, second right and then through the next double doors on the left. It’s the third room on the left.”

“Thank you,” Putting her arm around Alex’s waist Morwenna steered them around the corridors until they found themselves outside room 706, two doctors emerging just as they arrived, “Is this Dani’s room?”

“Yes, it is,” One of the doctors smiled, handing the clipboard to the other, gesturing to a row of chairs opposite the door, “Can I have a few moments before you go in? Alex isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Alex nodded, his eyes on the room door, “Is Dani ok?”

“His injuries are very minor,” The doctor smiled kindly, the line on his forehead showing that there was more to be said, “To be honest with you, it’s not Daniel’s physical condition that is concerning us.”

“What does that mean?” Alex looked up, eying the doctor with suspicion, “He’s ok, right?”

“Have you noticed any changes in him recently?”

“Like what?”

“He seems somewhat confused,” The doctor chose his words very careful, not wanting to overload the situation, “We were concerned at first that perhaps he’d sustained a head injury, but we have ruled that out. However,”

“However what?” Alex took Morwenna’s hand, his heart threatening to jump out of his chest, “What is going on doctor?”

“Have you noticed Daniel being forgetful at all recently? Perhaps forgetting names, or appointments? Not all of the time, but perhaps occasionally getting people muddled?”

“I don’t think so.”

“No random words for things because he can’t remember their actual name or anything like that?”

“I don’t thi…” Alex stopped, closing his eyes as a memory hit him square in the face, “Hand-clock…”

Morwenna frowned in confusion, “Hand-clock?”

“When we were in Cervera last, he called his watch a hand-clock…” Alex looked at the doctor, tears stinging his eyes, “And last week our niece was adamant she’d seen him in the shopping mall, but he didn’t see her…”

“Ok,” The doctor nodded, smiling kindly at Alex, “Were you home when Daniel went out today?

“No, I was collecting our granddaughter, we have her on a Monday afternoon.”

“When you got home was everything in order?”

“No,” Alex shook his head, his voice low, “The door to the garden was open.”

“When Daniel was out he stepped in front of a car,” The doctor went on, Alex’s head dropping to his knees, Morwenna’s arm going around her brother-in-law’s back, “Luckily the driver could stop, but Daniel couldn’t remember his address, or where he was going. He had also gone out with no jacket or jumper.”

“Right,” Voice muffled by his clothing, his head pressed hard against his own legs, Alex bit back a sob, “What does this mean?”

“I still have to run some tests, but I think perhaps Daniel is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease,” The doctor patted Alex’s back, “He has been asking for you. I’ll be back shortly.”

*

_ 1st January 2059 – Marc & Morwenna’s House, Andorra _

“Dani?” Alex followed Dani into the kitchen, the older man obviously on the hunt for something, or someone, “What you looking for babe?”

Looking around, the kids (still called that despite the fact Lucia and Eva were 35 and 33 respectively) and their friends milling around the food table, Dani frowned, turning to Alex, “Where is my Mama? Is she not here?”

“Well,” Sharing a brief look across the room with Lucia, their daughter turning away quickly to ensure Dani didn’t see the tears, her grandmother having passed away many years previously, Alex smiled, opting for diversion, there absolutely no point in breaking Dani’s heart with news that he’d forget again soon, “Do you fancy another drink? I’ve got some of that Scotch that you like…”

“Ooh,” Dani smiled, then frowned, looking at Alex, “I can’t remember what I came in here for… Was it Scotch?”

“I reckon it was probably Scotch…” Alex laughed, Dani joining him, everything alright for a while again, “Come on let’s go and get it.”

“Don’t let your brother see it,” Dani chuckled conspiratorially, “He’ll eat it all.”

*

_ 15th May 2060 – Dani & Alex’s house, Andorra _

“Hello?” Opening the door, checking in on Dani whilst Alex was out, Morwenna brought her hands to her eyes with a squeak, “Dani!”

Looking down at himself, Dani laughed, “Oops.”

“Go and put some clothes on man!” Morwenna laughed, guiding herself to the lounge without peeking, only removing her hands when Dani opened the door of the ground floor bedroom, “You must be freezing.”

“I just turned the buttons up!”

“What you like Pedrosa?!” Morwenna laughed, the sadness of Dani’s condition lightened by the occasional moments that made them all howl with laughter, “Do you want something to eat?”

“No,” Dani appeared in the room, startling Morwenna slightly, his choice of clothes slightly bizarre, nothing colour coordinated at all, but everything in the right place, nodding toward the wall chart, “I’ve already had lunch.”

“I like the clock…” Morwenna smiled; with Dani often aware of his lapses in memory, he and Alex had modified the dial of a clock, the hands showing breakfast, lunch, dinner and sleep time instead of hours, “You two are getting creative again.”

“Not how we used to get creative,” Dani shrugged, slightly sadly, “We used to use all our creativity in the bedroom.”

“I bet you did,” Laughing, Dani’s frank honesty something they were all adjusting too, his conversation filter missing, Morwenna looked at the chart, “Chicken pie, who made that? Not Alex…”

“Alex’s cooking is shit,” Dani wrinkled up his face, reminding Morwenna of the plane food video from when he was young, “The lady made it.”

“The lady?”

“Yeah,” Dani smiled, his face lighting up, “She comes to see me every day and she brings food. She has hair the same as yours. She’s very pretty and very kind.”

“Lucia?” Morwenna smiled sadly at Dani’s enthusiastic nod, “Yeah, she’s lovely.”

*

_ 25th December 2063 – Lucia’s house, Andorra _

“Will you read me a story please?”

Looking at the book being thrust in his face, Dani swallowed hard, “I’m not very good at reading stories.”

“Is it because you forget the words?” Looking at her grandfather, the honesty as brutal as only as a child can be, Sofia smiled at Dani’s nod, “That’s ok, I’ll help you. Budge up.”

Shuffling slightly on his armchair, Dani laughed as Sofia practically jumped onto his lap, wriggling like a kitten until she was comfortable, before she opened the book, “I love this book.”

“I used to read this book to your Mama…”

Sofia grinned, her similarity to Alex becoming more and more apparent, “I know. That’s why I picked it. So it was one you know.”

“Well that was smart,” Dani smiled, turning to the first page, “A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood… A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good… Hey Daniel, do you want to join us?”

“I’ll help him,” Hoisting her brother up, her being the helper because she was eight and Daniel only two, Sofia beamed as they both settled on her grandfather’s lap, the little trio completely unaware of their glassy eyed audience watching from the doorway, “We should start again, so Daniel hears it all.”

“Good idea,” Dani smiled, loving spending time with the children, catching Alex’s eye briefly in the mirror, “A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood… A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good…”

*

_ 24th May 2065 – Dani & Alex’s house, Andorra _

Sitting in front of the mirror, Dani adjusted his black tie, it feeling constricting around his neck, “Alex?”

“What baby?” Poking his head around the door of the en-suite, Alex smiled.

Biting his lip, Dani looked up, confused, “Why am I wearing a tie?”

“Because,” Alex sat on the end of the bed, turning Dani to face him, hating the fact that the disease had such a strong hold on him now, “It’s Morwenna’s funeral today.”

His face crumbling, Dani sobbed, “Morwenna? I didn’t know she was dead.”

“I know,” Alex pulled Dani into a hug, this the fourth time they’d had this conversation, “It’s ok. It’s ok baby.”

*

_ 14th August 2066 – Dani’s Cottage, Lamorna, Cornwall _

“It smells in here…” Dani frowned, his brain whirring as he moved through the dusty kitchen, pointing to the sofa in the lounge, “That’s not right.”

Dumping their bags, Alex chucked his keys on the table, moving to Dani’s side, “What’s not right?”

“That shouldn’t be like that,” Dani folded his arms, looking around the room, “You can’t see the window. It should be there so you can see the window…”

“Hold on,” Shifting the table aside, Alex moved the sofa, turning it around and pushing it back, “Like that?”

“Yes!” Dani nodded, enthusiastic like a child, “That’s it!”

*

_ 20th August 2066 – Dani’s Cottage, Lamorna, Cornwall _

“This is a beautiful view…” Sitting on a blanket, snuggling back into Alex, Dani looked out at the sea, “You pick good holiday cottages Alex.”

With Dani’s back against his chest, Alex could feel the heaviness of the other’s man’s breathing, the low crackle audible in the silence, “You picked this one babe.”

“Did I?” Dani frowned, coughing hard for a few minutes, before looking at Alex, “When did I find this cottage?”

Tightening the blanket around Dani, the air cooling as the sun set in the distance, Alex pressed a kiss to Dani’s hair, “This is where you escaped too when the world got too much.”

“Did you escape here too?” Looking around at Alex, the younger man one of the few people he still recognised, the trust that had been implicit between them for so long still there, Dani bit his lip, “I hurt you, didn’t I?”

Alex smiled, snuggling his chin against Dani’s shoulder, “You did, but you didn’t mean too… And you came home.”

“I came home…” Dani smiled, turning to kiss Alex’s cheek, “I’m glad I came home.”

The lump in his throat threatening to choke him, Alex’s voice was hoarse, “I’m glad too.”

“It’s very pretty here… Can we stay until it goes away? The sun I mean. I know the cancer isn’t going away.”

“No,” Alex blinked back the tears as Dani snuggled into him, his eyes on the sunset, “That’s not going away.”

*

_ 25th August 2066 – Dani’s Cottage, Lamorna, Cornwall _

“Can you tell me a story?”

Sitting on the blanket, settling down to watch the sunset, as they had every night since they arrived, Alex wrapped his arms around Dani, “What kind of story?”

“One about us,” Snuggling back, his back against the warmth of Alex’s chest, only their thin t-shirts separating them, Dani smiled, “I like hearing about us.”

Relaxing as Dani’s head nestled into the crook of his neck, both of them fitting together comfortably, Alex smiled, “The night before our wedding we were both staying in London, in a hotel. We each had our own room…”

“Traditional? Us?” Dani chuckled heartily at the idea, the sound of his laughter filling the evening air, Alex joining in, “Tell me more please.”

“Well…”

*

_ 27th August 2066 – Dani’s Cottage, Lamorna, Cornwall _

“Can we go outside?” Dani coughed, doubling over as he tried to catch his breath, holding his hand up as Alex tried to help him, “I’m ok.”

Helping Dani settle back on the sofa, Alex put another cushion behind Dani’s back, shaking his head, “I don’t think we should.”

“Please,” Dani took Alex’s hand, his eyes begging as much as his tone, his breath catching as he tried to breath in, “Just for a little while.”

Looking at Dani, the dark circles under his eyes emphasised by the paleness of his skin, Alex nodded, “Twenty minutes…”

“Thank you,” Dani smiled warmly as Alex scooped him up, carrying him out to the garden, settling them both down in their usual spot, “It’s so beautiful here. I’m so glad you found this cottage Alex.”

Closing his eyes, tears filling them, Alex swallowed hard, “I’m glad we found it too.”

*

_ 1st September 2066 – Dani’s Cottage, Lamorna, Cornwall _

“Hey,” Marc pulled his brother into a hug, Alex clinging to him for a few moments, “You are doing so well.”

“Thanks,” Stepping back, Alex opened his arms, Lucia walking into them, sobs escaping from her, “It’s ok sweetheart, it’ll be ok… Where are the children?”

“They are with Gianni,” Lucia wiped her eyes, shrugging her shoulders, “They are too little… I don’t want them to have these memories of Papa… He’d hate that…”

Nodding in agreement, Alex bit back a tear, “He would, he really would. Why don’t you go and see him? He’d love to see you.”

“I will,” Lucia leant up on her tiptoes, pressing a kiss to Alex’s cheek, “Love you Dad.”

-

“Hey…” Lucia padded into the lounge, Dani looking small and frail on the sofa, bundled up with blankets, the sight catching her breath for a few seconds, “Hey Papa.”

Frowning, confused, Dani picked up his little book, a bundle of laminated photographs bound together, flicking through it until he found the photographs of Lucia; some recent and some as a child, Dani smiled warmly, the little girl on the picture so familiar to him, “Cia…”

“How are you?” Settling on the sofa, next to Dani’s feet, Lucia giggled when he lifted up the blanket for her, encouraging her to snuggle down next to him, “Papa?”

Smiling, genuine and warm, Dani lifted his arm until Lucia snuggled down next to him, his voice crackly, the sound of that and his wheezy breathing filtering around the room, “Tell me about you. What have you been up too?”

“Well, I’ve been with the children… Daniel has just learned to ride…”

*

_ 5th September 2066 – Dani’s Cottage, Lamorna, Cornwall _

Stroking his fingers through Dani’s hair, the older man’s head on his lap, Alex fought back the tears as he spoke, “We went there every year. The privacy was so good; we could go skinny dipping without any fear of being caught. Sometimes it was just me and you, but sometimes my parents, or your parents, would hire a villa along the road. That meant we had babysitters on hand for Lucia.”

“So we… could… still…” Dani coughed hard, it taking a few moments to get his breath back, “Go… sk… skinny… dipping…?”

Alex smiled, nodding, his heart breaking, but the conversation warming him at the same time, “Yeah, we could still go skinny dipping.”

“Alex?”

“What baby?”

“Can… Wwwe…” Dani had another coughing fit, his knees pulling up to his chest by the severity, “Sunset? Ppplease?”

Alex frowned, his hand stroking through Dani’s hair, “I don’t know babe, it’s chilly out…”

“Ppplease…” His voice crackly and weak, Dani looked up at Alex, “The tttourists… Aaalll gone… Ppplease?”

Nodding, understanding the importance of Lamorna with no tourists to Dani, Alex agreed, “Ok. Not for long though, ok?”

“Jjust five minutes…”

Standing up, Alex wrapped Dani in another blanket, and grabbed a hat from the coat stand, trussing Dani up like it was mid-winter. Reaching under him, he lifted the older man up, Dani as light as a feather, and carried him to the garden, setting him down on a sun lounger placed perfectly for the view, to save them from sitting on the ground, “Five minutes.”

-

“I remember the first time you brought me here,” Alex looked out at the distance, the sunset the most beautiful since they’d arrived, tears streaming down his face, “I could understand as soon as we arrived why it meant so much to you… It’s so beautiful here… So peaceful and quiet… I loved that we brought Lucia here and she and I got to be part of your life here… Now Sofia too, and Daniel in time… I can see them both trundling down the steps with their little mini surf boards… What do you think of that idea? Back in those days I couldn’t imagine we’d ever be here, talking about grandchildren… If you hadn’t come here, if you hadn’t met Morwenna, then we’d have missed out on Lucia… It’s funny how the world works… I love you so much…”

Dani nodded, catching Alex’s eye, the smile gentle, his breathing shallow and getting weaker.

“You’ve given me the best life I could ever have wished for,” Alex smiled through the tears, reaching to stroke Dani’s cheek, “You look tired baby…”

Dani nodded slightly, trying to speak, but no words coming out.

“Go to sleep baby,” Alex leant down to kiss Dani’s forehead, his eyes closing, tears dampening his cheeks, “I love you Dani Pedrosa… Don't you ever forget that..." Closing his eyes as he pressed another kiss to Dani's forehead, Alex dropped his voice to a whisper, "You can let go now baby, it's time for you to rest... ... ... Lucia! Come and sit with your Papa and I…”

“Dad?”

“Come here,” Waving her over, Alex shifted, sniffing back the tears, creating room for their beloved daughter next to them, blankets wrapped around them all, “Let’s watch the sunset together.”

-

“Uncle Marc?” Standing in the middle of the lounge, tears streaming down her face, Lucia broke down, falling into her Uncle’s arms, “He’s gone.”

*

_ 15th September 2066 – Dani’s Cottage, Lamorna, Cornwall _

Scattering a small amount of the ashes, Marc sighed hard, “I'll miss you mate. You were the best teammate anyone could wish for. Thank you for bringing Morwenna into my life. I’ll look after them for you…”

 “Thank you for everything Uncle Dani…” Eva.

“I was the luckiest kid in the world; you were my mentor, my manager and my Uncle. Thank you.” Xavier.

“My train set is still the best present anyone ever got me.” Jago.

“I’m so glad you are free of that bastard disease. I’ll miss you bro.” Eric.

“I love you. I love the way you used to play games with me. The disasters we had with baking. The way you chased off my boyfriends,” Lucia laughed softly, “I will make sure Sofia and Daniel know exactly how amazing a person you are, were. I love you Papa. I miss you already.”

Standing on the clifftop, the decision to scatter Dani’s ashes in Cornwall to give him a view of the sunset for all eternity his, Alex wiped a tear, “I don’t regret a single day with you; every moment was worth it because you were worth it. Watch every sunset baby, one day I’ll come and watch with you.

*

It is with the heaviest heart I have to announce the peaceful passing, after a long battle, of my beloved husband Dani Pedrosa-Marquez.

Dani passed in his sleep at his cottage in Lamorna, Cornwall, on September 5th 2066, aged 81.

Dani was an amazing husband, a wonderful father to our daughter Lucia, a doting grandfather to Sofia and Daniel, a much loved brother to Eric and a brother-in-law, uncle and friend to many.

His private family funeral was held in Lamorna. A public memorial will be held in due course.

A brief candle; both ends burning  
An endless mile; a bus wheel turning  
A friend to share the lonesome times  
A handshake and a sip of wine  
So say it loud and let it ring  
We are all a part of everything  
The future, present and the past  
Fly on proud bird  
You’re free at last.

   
  
---  
  
*

_ 18th September 2086 – Museum of Champions, Andorra _

“Seventy years ago this week my grandfather, Jorge Lorenzo, opened the World Champions Museum on this site,” Jago smiled at the assembled guests, “Over the years the collection got bigger and bigger, until we had more things in storage than on show because of space restrictions. On this special day I’d like to invite my Aunt, Lucia, to officially open the new museum…”

“Thank you Jago,” Dressed in a knee length black dress, Lucia smiled sadly as she stepped up to the lectern, “I was not supposed to be giving this speech to you today. Instead you were supposed to hear the words of a world champion, the words of my Dad… This museum has been a part of my life for many, many years. I used to come here with Eva when I was bored. We’d annoy Jorge by allowing Jago to run around the exhibits. Once he had a fit when we let him play with a set of leathers that belonged to a multiple world champion…

You see, for Eva and I, someone being a world champion was no big deal. We lived surrounded by world champions. When we were little we used to be amazed when we spoke to people who didn’t **know** any world champions… I mean, I lived with two and another one lived next door so how could you not know _any_?”

Laughing, Lucia shook her head, “It’s amazing what we take for granted as children… My Dad was supposed to be here today to open the museum, but thirteen days ago, on the twentieth anniversary of my Papa’s passing he decided he’d been without him for long enough… Today we re-open the Museum of Champions, I’m not overly sure what Jorge would think of the amount of Marquez and Pedrosa memorabilia, but I hope that he’d be proud of the work that Jago has done. He has created this fabulous building to host some of the most amazing motorsport items in the world. The collection that will be hosted here is utterly unique; from Graham Hill’s race suit to the crash helmets belonging to Marc Marquez and down to every trophy that Jorge won; it is a place that race fans world over will been keen to see. Ladies and gentlemen, in memory of the four men in the photograph above the door; Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Marquez and my parents, Alex Marquez and Dani Pedrosa, four amazing men, four tremendous champions who are all together again in the racetrack in the sky and it gives me enormous pleasure to pronounce the new Museum of Champions officially open…”

*

Alex Marquez Pedrosa  
  
---  
  
Suddenly, but peacefully at home on September 5th 2086, aged 93.

Beloved Daddy to Lucia. Adored Grandpa to Sofia, Daniel, Morwenna & Carlos. Doting Grampy to Oliver.

Give Papa, Uncle Marc & Aunty Wen a kiss from us xx

Funeral will be a private family event. No flowers. Donations if desired to Museum of Champions.  
  
 

 

 


End file.
